Importer Security Filing (ISF) One Week to Enforcement

If you or your company has ocean borne (maritime) cargo bound for the United States, you have exactly one (1) week from today to begin filing and complying with U.S. Customs & Border Protection’s (CBP’s) new Importer Security Filing (ISF) requirement.

The new rule and regulation has been in place since January 26, 2009, in an “unenforced” phase-in mode. On January 26, 2010, one week from today, CBP will begin aggressively enforcing the new rule and all cargo in the maritime domain will require that an ISF be filed no later than 24 hours before the vessel departure at origin. CBP has been adamant that ocean consignments arriving after January 26, 2010, without an ISF having been filed will be detained or otherwise delayed and could also be subject to a penalty of $5,000 per shipment.

If you are just getting around to establishing your ISF program, I highly recommend you consider TRG Direct (www.trgdirect.com). They are the preeminent ISF experts and can not only help you innovatively design your program, but can have your company direct-filing their ISF’s in 24 hours or less. Leveraging all of the functionality in TRG Direct’s highly intuitive completely web based system it will literally take seconds for you to file an ISF. TRG Direct’s best-in-class ISF solution is flexible and allows you or other designees to sign-on anywhere there’s an Internet connection 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. By direct-filing your ISF’s your company will benefit from added control, increased supply chain visibility and you’ll save up to 90% off of standard market rates.