CBP Tightens Cargo Description Requirements for All U.S.-Bound and Transit Shipments

Shipments that use vague or incomplete descriptions will be automatically rejected. This will lead to delays and added administrative costs for importers.

As of November 12, 2024, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will enforce stricter cargo description requirements on all shipments destined for or transiting through the United States.

CBP announced that vague or incomplete descriptions will lead to shipment rejections that can cause delays, disrupt supply chains, and increase costs.

The new policy targets descriptions submitted under the Air Cargo Advance Screening (ACAS) program, a pre-clearance system designed to assess and mitigate security risks in air cargo shipments before they arrive in the United States.

These stricter cargo description requirements will help the CBP strengthen its ability to identify potential risks in advance for safer and more efficient import and transit processes.

Importers, freight forwarders, and customs brokers must now take proactive steps to comply with these updated cargo description requirements.  

Additionally, documentation for all shipments headed to or through the United States should be reviewed and revised as necessary to ensure they meet CBP’s standards.

Failure to adhere to the new cargo description requirements could have significant consequences for importers and logistics companies, including delays and additional storage fees. 

The new cargo description mandates

The updated cargo description requirements mandate that importers provide clear, accurate, and specific details of goods in their shipment documentation.

Descriptions such as “brand name,” “clothing,” “appliances,” “food,” and “gifts” will no longer be acceptable, as they do not provide enough detail to identify the nature of the cargo.

Instead, each item within a shipment must be labeled with a detailed description that accurately reflects its contents.

For example, rather than listing “clothing” as a description, importers will now need to specify details like “men’s cotton shirts” or “women’s leather jackets.”

The CBP has issued a guide on the acceptable and unacceptable cargo descriptions. The list in the guide is not exhaustive and will continue to expand as unacceptable descriptions are identified.

Preparing for compliance with CBP’s cargo description requirements

Importers are expected to update documentation practices to meet the new cargo description standards. Moreover, to avoid costly delays or shipment rejections, importers will need to:

• Audit shipment descriptions: Conduct thorough audits of current documentation practices to ensure that cargo descriptions are specific, accurate, and comply with the new CBP requirements.

• Implement training programs: Educate staff and partners involved in documentation and logistics on the latest cargo description requirements to prevent errors that could lead to rejected shipments.

• Coordinate with customs brokers and freight forwarders: Ensure that all partners in the logistics chain are aware of CBP’s cargo description standards and provide them with updated documentation guidelines.

For more details on compliant descriptions and to ensure you meet these new requirements, please reach out to one of our trade professionals.