New Security Rules for Ocean and Air Cargo
Here’s what to keep in mind as government inspectors step up vigilance.
Take care with new security measures on ocean cargo shipments: Mistakes will carry a heavy price. U.S. Customs and Border Protection will soon enforce detailed requirements for filing information about ship manifests plus data from the shippers themselves: Factory address, tax identification number, the number of units ordered and manufactured, where the container was loaded and so on.
Take care with new security measures on ocean cargo shipments: Mistakes will carry a heavy price. U.S. Customs and Border Protection will soon enforce detailed requirements for filing information about ship manifests plus data from the shippers themselves: Factory address, tax identification number, the number of units ordered and manufactured, where the container was loaded and so on.
Computer analysis will target shipments with inaccurate or missing information for more probing, including possibly waylaying the cargo before the ship sets sail. If suspicions crop up after departure, cargo will be impounded at the receiving port and inspected before being released. In either case, expensive delays are likely.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
It won’t be enough to make sure that the information your firm supplies is accurate. “It is vital to check with all of the vendors and business partners to ensure that they have processes in place to enable your company to periodically review all of their records” to make sure everyone is complying with security mandates, says Susan Kohn Ross, a partner and international trade attorney with Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp, a law firm. Shipping firms will need to be certain that each customer toes the line or all will be penalized by delays.
Come August, 100% of air cargo on passenger planes must be screened -- not just the 50% of each shipment that the government requires be looked at now. But that’s tougher than it appears because huge pallets with hundreds of boxes are often waved through when they are part of a single aggregated shipment that also contains individual boxes. The one-off boxes are screened to meet the regulation.
To minimize delays, consider freight consolidators certified by the Transportation Security Administration to do preloading inspections, rather than relying on airlines’ screening. Consolidators segregate packages that need special handling, while hustling others through. Or use all-cargo carriers, which have no such requirements.
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.
-
Stocks Chop as the Unemployment Rate Jumps: Stock Market TodayNovember job growth was stronger than expected, but sharp losses in October and a rising unemployment rate are worrying market participants.
-
Should You Renew Your CD?With rate cuts impacting earnings, we examine if now is a wise time to renew CDs.
-
7 Ways to Plan Now to Save on Medicare IRMAA Surcharges LaterUnderstand the critical two-year lookback period and why aggressive planning before you enroll in Medicare is the most effective way to minimize IRMAA.
-
AI Appliances Aren’t Exciting Buyers…YetThe Kiplinger Letter Artificial intelligence is being embedded into all sorts of appliances. Now sellers need to get customers to care about AI-powered laundry.
-
What to Expect from the Global Economy in 2026The Kiplinger Letter Economic growth across the globe will be highly uneven, with some major economies accelerating while others hit the brakes.
-
The AI Boom Will Lift IT Spending Next YearThe Kiplinger Letter 2026 will be one of strongest years for the IT industry since the PC boom and early days of the Web in the mid-1990s.
-
Amid Mounting Uncertainty: Five Forecasts About AIThe Kiplinger Letter With the risk of overspending on AI data centers hotly debated, here are some forecasts about AI that we can make with some confidence.
-
Worried About an AI Bubble? Here’s What You Need to KnowThe Kiplinger Letter Though AI is a transformative technology, it’s worth paying attention to the rising economic and financial risks. Here’s some guidance to navigate AI’s future.
-
Will AI Videos Disrupt Social Media?The Kiplinger Letter With the introduction of OpenAI’s new AI social media app, Sora, the internet is about to be flooded with startling AI-generated videos.
-
What Services Are Open During the Government Shutdown?The Kiplinger Letter As the shutdown drags on, many basic federal services will increasingly be affected.
-
The Economy on a Knife's EdgeThe Letter GDP is growing, but employers have all but stopped hiring as they watch how the trade war plays out.