United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has announced a new rule, known as the Importer Security Filing (ISF) or more commonly called 10+2; which requires cargo information, for security purposes, to be transmitted to the agency at least 24 hours before goods are loaded onto an ocean vessel for shipment into the U.S. 10+2 is pursuant to section 203 of the SAFE Port Act, and requires importers to provide 10 data elements to CBP, as well as 2 more data elements from the carrier.
The new rule, published on November 26, 2008, went into effect on January 26, 2009. CBP is taking a phased-in approach in terms of implementation and enforcement. During the first 12 months, importers will be warned of infractions instead of being fined, with the hope that the importers will establish a filing system. All ISF filings are required to be submitted electronically via the Automated Broker Interface (ABI) or the Automated Manifest System (AMS).[1] After the phase-in period, on January 26, 2010, 10+2 will officially be effective and importers will be required to comply. If compliance is not met, they can face fines up to $5,000 for each violation[2].
The following 10 data elements are required from the importer:
From the carrier, 2 data elements are required:
The above information is required for the Department of Homeland Security to "push out" U.S. borders. Collecting information on foreign imports 24 hours prior to the goods leaving the port of lading allows CBP to further secure U.S. ports of entry against acts of terrorism.
An automated 10+2 solution takes electronic data, sent from supply chain partners, and maps it to the requested data elements required by CBP.[3] The filing of this information is known by CBP as the Importer Security Filing. With an automated solution, importers utilize the software to:
The importer is ultimately responsible for filing the required data elements or trusting a third party, such as a broker or a Freight forwarder, to submit the appropriate product information.[1]