7 August 2008

Lawmakers ask CBP to consider 10+2 pilot

This article is excerpted from the 7 August 2008 edition of “American Shipper”.

A group of 20 [US] House lawmakers asked the Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection in a recent letter to develop a 10+2 pilot program before the rule’s full-scale implementation.

The congressmen also asked CBP to give “some consideration to those companies that have validated supply chains” through the agency’s Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism program….

Through the proposed 10+2 rule, also known as the Importer Security Filing (ISF) program, CBP seeks to improve its knowledge about the content, origin and destination of international containers, and identify potential terrorist threats prior to departure from an overseas port. 10+2 requires importers or their agents to provide CBP with 10 data elements before a vessel departs the overseas port. Two additional data elements must be filed to the agency by the vessel operators….

“Estimates vary regarding the amount of delay caused by the proposed rule,” the lawmakers said. “CBP estimates a 24-hour delay for the first year, dropping to a 12-hour delay thereafter. The business community, however, has documented that applying the rule in real time to company supply chains will delay cargo by 2-5 days depending on the complexity of the supply chain.”

Industry groups welcomed the House lawmakers’ efforts to encourage CBP to consider the 10+2 pilot….