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CB4u—Intro to U.S. Customs Brokerage, Part 4: Documentation and Admissibility; Product Compliance and Marking Requirements

Subscriber price: $181.00, Non-subscriber price: $286.00
Estimated total study time: 15 hours 43 minutes [Enroll now]

This the fourth of the nine-part series of introductory courses in the practical work of U.S. customs brokerage work groups, and should be taken after completion of the prior 3 courses for proper continuity:

  • CB1u—Intro to U.S. Customs Brokerage: Part 1, The Players, Functions and Business of a Customs Broker
  • CB2u—Intro to U.S. Customs Brokerage: Part 2, Customs Broker Transactions, Supervision and Work Flow
  • CB3u—Intro to U.S. Customs Brokerage, Part 3: Cargo Release Processing; Surety Bonds

This course begins with documents necessary for specific imports by country and by product. Next we address admissibility issues and product compliance. The course concludes with marking requirements for imported products.

Notes:

  1. The actual processing of a customs entry is covered in Part 9 of this introductory course series.
  2. If you are looking for the trade agreement documentation it is now in CB7u—Intro to U.S. Customs Brokerage, Part 7: Trade Agreements and Supporting Documentation

Transaction Information Requirements

The requirements regarding the transaction will be explained in this lesson. This will include the need for a commercial invoice or pro-forma invoice and packing list. We will also touch on imports of personal effects, household goods, and tools of the trade.

(Estimated study time: 51 minutes)

  • Introduction
  • Commercial Invoice Requirements
  • Pro forma Invoice
  • Owner's Inventory (Personal Effects, Household Goods, Tools of the Trade)
  • Packing List

Invoice Requirements for Imported Product Information

In this lesson, we discuss the information required for the commercial or proforma invoice about the imported product. This includes the description of goods and the special products that have additional descriptive requirements.

(Estimated study time: 54 minutes)

  • Introduction
  • Providing Complete Product Data on the Commercial Invoice
  • Description of Goods in the Required Detail
  • Certain Products Need Further Descriptive Information

Documents and Information Based on Disposition of Goods

The product description is not the only information required on the commercial or proforma invoice. The pertinent value and currency information, quantities in weights and measures, country of origin and any applicable customs rulings must also be shown on the invoice. Here we also cover document requirements based on disposition of goods.

(Estimated study time: 1 hour 25 minutes)

  • Introduction
  • Value and Currency of Imported Goods
  • Additional Aspects of the Commercial Invoice
    • Quantities in Weights and Measures
    • Country of Origin
    • Applicable Customs Rulings
  • Documents Based on Disposition of Goods
  • Documentation for Products Exported From and Returned to the U.S. Regardless of Country of Origin.
    • Documentation Requirements for Products Returned to the U.S. Valued at $2500 or less and Certain Aircraft Equipment
      • Required Documents for U.S. Goods Returned (USGR) Valued $250 or Less and Certain Aircraft and Aircraft Parts & Equipment
      • Documentation for Returned Goods Valued $800 USD or less
      • Documentation for Returned Goods Valued $801 - $2500 USD
    • Documentation for Returned Goods Valued over $2500 USD
      • Importers Responsibility to Provide Documented Proof for U.S. Goods Returned Claim and Customs Brokers Duty of Care
      • Declaration by Foreign Shipper (DFS)
      • Consignee's or Owner's Declaration
      • Manufacturer's Affidavit
    • Documentation for Certain Products of the United States Valued at $10,000 or Less
    • Other Documents Providing Sufficient Proof of Export
    • Documentation Requirements for Certain Aircraft Returned to the U.S.
    • Documentation Requirements of Re-imported Goods Under Department of State License
  • Definition of Repairs and Alterations
  • Special Documentation Required for Declaring Articles Repaired, Altered or Processed Abroad (9802)
  • U.S. Content Articles in General
  • Special Documentation for U.S. Content Articles
  • Documentation for Temporary Importation Bond Imports (9813)

Transportation Documents Required for Entry

The requirements regarding the transportation documents will be explained in this lesson. This will include why a bill of lading is required, what information is needed, as well as different types of bills of lading and transportation bonds.

(Estimated study time: 56 minutes)

  • Introduction
  • What is the Transportation Document?
  • The Bill of Lading as Contract of Carriage
  • Original Bill of Lading Endorsements
  • MBL or MAWB Transportation Document
  • HBL or HAWB Transportation Document
  • Sub-House Bill of Lading (SBL) or Sub-House Air Waybill Transportation Document
  • In-Bond BOL Transportation Document

Product Specific Import Requirements for Minimally Processed Animals

This lesson provides an overview of the document requirements for importing animals, birds, and their by-products. It focuses on the regulations set by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Veterinary Services (VS), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and other relevant agencies. The lesson provides guidance through the process of obtaining the necessary import permits, understanding the specific requirements for different types of animals and animal products, and ensuring compliance with U.S. import regulations.

(Estimated study time: 53 minutes)

  • Introduction
  • Requirements for Minimally Processed Plant and Animal Products
  • Requirements for Animals, Birds, Fish, Products and Parts
    • Document requirements for Animals, Birds, Products and Parts Thereof
    • Requirements for Animals, Livestock, Products and Parts Thereof
    • Requirements for Bird or Poultry and Poultry Products
    • Requirements for Fish, Wildlife and Endangered Species
      • Fish and Seafood Requiring Additional Documentation and/or Inspection
        • Fish and Seafood Require FDA Prior Notice
        • Fish and Seafood are Regulated by NMFS
        • USDA Requirements for Fish and Seafood
      • Wildlife and Endangered Species Requiring Additional Documentation and/or Inspection
        • Game Animals for Food Need Prior Notice
        • Wildlife Licensing by FWS
        • Endangered Species of Wildlife
    • Meat and Meat Products Document and Information Requirements
    • Requirements for Cheese, Milk, and Dairy Products

Product Specific Import Requirements for Minimally Processed Plants

This lesson provides an overview of the import requirements for plant and plant products, focusing on the regulations set by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It also covers the specific requirements for plants and plant products regulated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

(Estimated study time: 59 minutes)

  • Introduction
  • Documents and Information Required for Plant, Plant Products and Soil
    • Plant and Plant Products Requirements
      • Plant and Plant Products that require Import Permits and Phytosanitary Certificates
      • Plants and Plant Products Regulated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)
      • The Lacey Act Amendment Generated by the 2008 Farm Bill
      • The Softwood Lumber Act of 2008
      • Requirements for Fruits, Vegetables, and Nuts
    • Requirements for Seed Imports
    • Requirements for Soil Imports
    • Requirements for Imported Wood Packing Materials
  • Documents and Information Required for Insect Imports

Product Specific Import Requirements for Food, Drugs, Cosmetics and Medical Devices

Continuing our review of document and information requirements of imported products, we will cover the special requirements for food, drugs, cosmetics and medical devices. This will include reporting requirements, biological materials, vectors, drugs, and narcotics.

(Estimated study time: 54 minutes)

  • Introduction
  • FDA Regulated Products
  • FDA Electronic Systems and Reporting Requirements
  • Narcotic Drugs, Derivatives and Drug Paraphernalia Requirements
  • Other Drugs for Human and Animal Consumption
  • Biological Materials and Vectors

Product Specific Import Requirements for Food and Drug Bioterrorism Prior Notice; Electronic Devices

Continuing our review of document and information requirements of imported products, we will cover the special information needed for FDA bioterrorism prior notice reporting. We will also review the documentation necessary for radiation-producing products and radio frequency devices.

(Estimated study time: 48 minutes)

  • Introduction
  • FDA Bioterrorism Act Prior Notice of Arrival for U.S. Import
  • FDA Advance Reporting for Human and Animal Food
  • Radiation-Producing Products Requirements
  • General Information Regarding Radio Frequency Devices
  • Devices and Equipment Subject to FCC Regulations

Product Specific Import Requirements for DOT and EPA Regulated Products

This lesson addresses the documents and information necessary for other U.S. Government agency processing that affects a variety of types of goods at the time of customs entry. Some of these products are regulated by more than one agency including APHIS, BATF, DDTC, DOE, DOT, EPA, FDA, NHTSA, NRC, USCG and the USDA.

(Estimated study time: 47 minutes)

  • Introduction
  • Requirements for U.S. Imports of Motor Vehicles and Boats
    • Import Requirements for Automobiles, Vehicles and Vehicle Equipment
      • Import Requirements for Motor Vehicles
      • Motor Vehicles and Motor Vehicle Equipment
      • Environmental Protection Agency Requirements
    • Document and Information Requirements for Boat Safety Standards
  • Requirements for Pesticides, Toxic, and Hazardous Substances
    • Requirements for Pesticides
    • Requirements for Toxic Substances
    • Requirements for Dangerous Goods and Hazardous Substances

Product Specific Import Requirements for BATF; Other Products and Regulations

In this lesson we will review some of the duty free provisions that are available for items such as antiques, artwork, prototypes, and civil aircraft. In order to take advantage of these provisions, documentation proving they qualify must be provided with the commercial invoice. We will also review the additional documentation that is required in order to make sure the item is properly classified and the correct duty is assessed for certain products like alcoholic beverages, textiles, and footwear.

(Estimated study time: 1 hour 11 minutes)

  • Introduction
  • Requirements for Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco
  • Requirements for Arms, Ammunition and Radioactive Materials
    • Firearms, Ammunition and Parts
    • Radioactive Materials and Nuclear Reactors
  • Antiques, Artwork, Collectors Pieces, and Other Cultural Property
    • Requirements for Antiques
    • Requirements for Artwork
      • Artwork in General
      • Paintings, Drawings, Pastels, Collages and Similar Decorative Plaques
      • Engravings, Lithographs and Prints
      • Sculptures and Statues
    • Artifacts/Cultural Property
  • Civil Aircraft Requirements
  • Requirements for Gold, Silver, and Counterfeit Articles
  • Requirements for Films and Videos
  • Requirements for Petroleum and Petroleum Products
  • Requirements for Prototypes
  • Requirements for Textile Products and Footwear
  • Commercial and Industrial Equipment Regulations
  • Consumer Products (Safety Requirements)
  • Consumer Products (Truth-in-labeling and Advertising)
  • Intellectual Property

Embargoes, Sanctions, Controls and Other Forms of Economic Protection

Admissibility issues are a concern. Some of these take the form of country based embargoes, sanctions and controls. They are administered by different agencies for political, economic, moral, or environmental reasons. In this lesson we review some of these controls. Antidumping duty and countervailing duty are trade remedies that protect our economy from the "dumping" of unfairly priced merchandise or "counter"ing government subsidies that generate low-priced imports. These will also be explained further in this lesson.

(Estimated study time: 1 hour 13 minutes)

  • Introduction
  • An Introduction to Embargoes, Sanctions and Controls
  • Introduction to Antidumping and Countervailing Duties
    • Antidumping and Countervailing Duties Background
    • Antidumping Duties Explained
    • Countervailing Duties Explained
    • Overview of Customs Broker Actions for AD/CVD
  • Foreign Assets Control Restrictions
  • CDC Embargos
    • Animals and Animal Products Regulated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
    • Restrictions on African Rodents and the MPox Virus
    • Birds and Avian Influenza from Specified Countries
    • Civets with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)
  • Products Subject to Import License, Permit or Certificate
    • Products Needing Import Permits
    • Products Needing an Import License
    • Products Needing an Import Certificate (not including Certificates for Free Trade)
  • Products Subject to State Laws
  • Products Subject to Foreign Export Certificate, Permit, or License
    • Foreign Export Certificate Required
    • Foreign Export License Required
    • Foreign Export Permit Required
    • Foreign Export Permits for Softwood Lumber

Quotas Administered by CBP as Additional Trade Remedies

Quotas are established by presidential proclamation, executive order or other legislation and offer a limited amount of merchandise in annually or at a reduced rate as opposed to the embargos and sanctions administered for political, economic, moral or environmental reasons.

(Estimated study time: 53 minutes)

  • Introduction
  • U.S. Customs and Border Protection Administers the Majority of Import Quotas
  • Key Factors in Determining Whether Quota Applies
  • Absolute Quotas
    • Absolute Quotas Allow Only a Limited Number of Units During a Specific Period of Time
    • Examples of Absolute Quota
  • Tariff Rate Quotas
    • Tariff Rate Quotas Allow a Limited Number of Units at a Reduced Duty Rate During a Specific Period of Time
    • Examples of Tariff Rate Quotas by Classification
    • Examples of Tariff Rate Quotas with the WTO Under GATT
  • Tariff Preference Level Quotas
  • After Determining that Quota Applies
  • Importer's Options When the Quota is Full

Visas and Quotas Administered by Other Agencies; Quota Processing

In this lesson we will go into further detail on those quotas allowing reductions in duties for limited quantities. Some quotas are administered by other agencies such as the Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, and the U.S. Department of the Interior. Also we will discuss requirements for exemption as goods for personal use and commercial samples.

(Estimated study time: 1 hour 27 minutes)

  • Introduction
  • Managing Quota and Visa Requirements
  • Visa and Certificate of Eligibility Requirements
  • Quotas Administered by Agencies Other than CBP
    • Dairy Products
    • Watches and Watch Movements
    • Haiti Earned Import Allowance Program
  • Processing Quota Entries
    • General Information for Processing All Quota Entries
    • Processing Absolute Quota Entries
    • Processing Tariff Rate Quota Entries
  • Goods for Personal Use and Commercial Samples Exempt from Quota

Rules of Origin and Product Marking Requirements

Rules of origin are needed in order to determine the country of origin of an article. Once the proper country of origin is determined, it must be marked on the product. Improper country of origin markings or removal of these markings after the fact is punishable by fines and/or imprisonment. There are some exceptions to the marking rules and some country of origin markings are required to be designed and applied in a certain way to be acceptable. We will touch on these requirements which can cause problems at the time of customs release.

(Estimated study time: 1 hour 22 minutes)

  • Introduction
  • Rules of Origin Determine the Country of Origin
    • Goods Produced in a Single Country
    • Goods Produced in Multiple Countries
    • Rules of Origin for Preferential and Non-preferential Treatment
      • Rules of Origin for Non-Preferential Duty Rates
      • Preferential Rules of Origin
  • Marking the Country of Origin on the Product
  • Goods that are Not Required to be Marked

Special Marking Requirements and Handling Goods Not Legally Marked

Not only is the country of origin required, some products also require special marking and, in some cases , additional labeling before they can be imported. Here we will learn about some of these requirements and how to handle shipments that have been examined by CBP and determined "not legally marked".

(Estimated study time: 1 hour 9 minutes)

  • Introduction
  • Special Marking for Certain Articles
    • Special Marking Exceptions for Souvenirs
    • Articles from Different Countries Packaged Together
    • Items Received as a Gift
    • Containers that Hold Merchandise
    • Articles to be Repacked in the US.
    • Special Marking Considerations for Point-of-Sale Packaging at Retail
    • Marking of Watch and Clock Movements, Cases and Bands
    • Marking for Hand Tools, Utensils, and Native American Articles
    • Marking Vacuum Containers, Compressed Gas Cylinders and Parts
    • Marking for Pipes and Pipe Fittings
    • Marking for Manholes and Parts
  • Special Labeling Requirements
    • Products that require special labeling
    • Labeling Requirements for Textiles, Fiber, and Wool Products
    • Labeling Requirements for Fur
    • Marking and Labeling Requirements for Food and Drug-Regulated Products
  • The Federal Trade Commission's (FTCs) Role in Regulating Country of Origin Claims
  • American Automobile Labeling Act (AALA)
  • Buy American Act Requirements for Government Procurement
  • Other Labeling Requirements
  • Handling Marking or Labeling Discrepancies
    • Options for the Importer Upon Discovery of a Marking Discrepancy
    • Steps for Handling Goods Not Legally Marked (NLM)