What is Importer Security Filing (10 + 2)?

The United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Agency has announced a new rule, called the Importer Security Filing (ISF) or more commonly called 10+2, which requires cargo information for security purposes to be transmitted to the agency at least 24 hours before goods are loaded on an ocean vessel for shipment to the U.S. This new rule is pursuant to section 203 of the SAFE Port Act, and requires importers to provide 10 data elements to CBP as well as the carrier to provide 2 more data elements.

The new rule, published on November 26, 2008, went into effect on January 26, 2009. CBP is taking a phased-in approach in terms of implementation and enforcement. During the first 12 months, importers will be warned of infractions instead of being fined. Once that time period is complete, importers can face fines up to $5,000 for each violation.

So what are the 10+2 elements required on the Importer Security Filing (ISF)? The following are the ten data elements must be transmitted to CBP as part of the ISF:

• Manufacturer’s name and address
• Seller’s name and address
• Consolidator’s name and address
• Container stuffing location (Address at which goods loaded into a container)
• Buyer’s name and address (Last named buyer)
• Ship to name and address (Party physically receiving the goods)
• Importer of record’s number
• Consignee’s number
• Country of origin
• Harmonized tariff schedule number (to the 6th digit)

CBP also wants two additional elements to be provided by the ocean carrier at least 48 hours after departure from the last foreign port (or prior to arrival for voyages less than 48 hours in duration).

• Vessel stow plan
• Container status message

How can you easily organize, validate and transmit this data to the CBP?

With Integration Point 10+2, companies can not only automate the collection of all the data, but also validate the data as well as manage the workflow all online.

The challenge of the CBP’s Importer Security Filing is the compilation of various kinds of data from the multiple parties involved in an import transaction.  The Integration Point® web-based architecture and transactional processing design is ideal to address this challenge and facilitate a successful filing strategy for the importer.

Integration Point takes electronic data from any supply chain partner able to send it, maps it to the requested data elements, and then provides the filer with a tool to fill in the blanks, if there are any.  When combined with tools such as Global Classification, Integration Point 10+2 will make it possible for the importer (who is ultimately responsible for the filing) to either do it themselves or trust that a 3rd party filer will submit the appropriate product information with the shipping information they have traditionally owned.

Integration Point 10+2 allows importers to:

• Provide access for all trading partners to view and/or edit data
• Load data from electronic files as available or allows for manual keying of data
• Notify users automatically when work needs to be done on a filing
• Connect to CBP allowing the importer to file the ISF
• Validate classification data (when the Global Classification module is present) for all filings before transmitting to CBP
• Designate fields to populate automatically with data that is consistent across all filings for the company
• Use a built in workflow that follows the events of a shipment and coinciding ISF data elements triggered by those events
• Integrate with other Integration Point compliance solutions that are built on the same single, web-based platform

Interested in learning more about Integration Point 10+2? Please fill out our online request form, or send us an email. You can also download our product brochure located in the top right corner of this page.