Schednet 4/1/08

US CUSTOMS has published its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), better know as the feared "10+2 Rule" that would require shippers to electronically provide detailed information on 100 per cent of a ship's cargo before it enters the United States.

The idea is to assess and identify high-risk shipments to prevent terrorist weapons and materials from entering the country, said a statement from US Customs.

"It will also improve our ability to facilitate lawful international trade by identifying low-risk shipments much earlier in the supply chain," said Customs Commissioner Ralph Basham.

"The proposed regulation will require carriers to submit '10+2' additional pieces of information. The additional information includes: a vessel stow plan used to transmit information about the physical location of cargo loaded aboard a vessel bound for the US and container status messages, which report container movements and changes in status (eg, empty or full)," said a Customs statement.

In addition, the NPRM also requires importers to submit an Importer Security Filing containing the following 10 data elements: Manufacturer (or supplier) name and address, seller (or owner) name and address, buyer (or owner) name and address, ship-to name and address, container stuffing location, consolidator (stuffer) name and address, importer of record number/foreign trade zone applicant identification number, consignee numbers, country of origin, and Commodity Harmonized Tariff Schedule number, Customs said.