On April 12, 2018, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) published in a Federal Register Notice (FRN) the final rule to expand the definition of an Importer Security Filing (ISF) Importer.
Currently, 19 CFR 141.1 defines the ISF Importer as “the party causing goods to arrive within the limits of a port in the United States by vessel” for shipments other than foreign goods remaining on board (FROB) and in-bond shipments. For FROB shipments, the ISF importer is currently the carrier, and for in-bond shipments and shipments destined to an FTZ, the ISF importer is the party filing the in-bond or FTZ documents. The final rule expands the definition to include non-vessel operating common carriers (NVOCCs) for FROB shipments; the definition for in-bond shipments and goods entering into an FTZ will now include the goods’ owner, purchaser, consignee, or agent such as a licensed customs broker.
The rule will go into effect May 14, 2018.
The FRN may be found here:
