Importing into the United States 

 

A Guide for Commercial Importers

A Notice To Our Readers 

 

On March 1, 2003, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, or CBP, was born as an  agency of the Department of Homeland Security, merging functions of the former  Customs Service, Immigration and Naturalization Service, Border Patrol, and Animal  and Plant Health Inspection Service. Many changes took place in preparation for this  merger and many have occurred since in order to safeguard U.S. borders against high risk cargo, contraband, and unsafe imports. We encourage you to visit our Website (www.cbp.gov) for the latest information on specific laws, regulations or procedures that  may affect your import transactions. 

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This edition of Importing Into the United States contains material pursuant to the  Trade Act of 2002 and the Customs Modernization Act (Title VI of the North American  Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act), commonly referred to as the Mod Act. 

The Customs Modernization Act (Title VI of the North American Free Trade  Agreement Implementation Act [P.L. 103-182, 107 Stat. 2057]) became effective  December 8, 1993. Its provisions have fundamentally altered the relationship between  importers and CBP by shifting to the importer, the legal responsibility for declaring the  value, classification, and rate of duty applicable to entered merchandise. 

A prominent feature of the Mod Act is a relationship between CBP and importers  that is characterized by informed compliance. (See Section Three of this book, which  starts on page 26, for details and definitions.) A key component of informed compliance  is the shared responsibility between CBP and the import community, wherein CBP  communicates its requirements to the importer, and the importer, in turn, uses reasonable  care to assure that CBP is provided with accurate and timely data pertaining to his or her  importations. 

 

Importing Into the United States provides wide-ranging information about the  importing process and import requirements. We have made every effort to include  essential requirements, but it is not possible for a book this size to cover all import laws  and regulations. Also, this publication does not supersede or modify any provision of  those laws and regulations. Legislative and administrative changes are always under  consideration and can occur at any time. Quota limitations on commodities are also  subject to change. Therefore, reliance solely on the information in this book may not  meet the “reasonable care” standard required of importers. 

We urge interested parties to contact their nearest CBP office for information on 

specific issues or questions. CBP ports of entry, with their addresses and phone  numbers, can be found on our Website under “Ports.” 

We cannot overemphasize that although the information in this book is provided  to promote understanding of, and compliance with, importing laws and regulations, the  information provided here is for general purposes only. Importers may also wish to  obtain guidance from private-sector experts who specialize in importing, for example,  licensed customs brokers, attorneys or consultants. 

Federal agencies whose laws CBP helps to enforce are listed throughout this  book, as well as in the Appendix and on our Website.