U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has been talking about and developing requirements for electronic transmission of export manifest for several years, and recently extended the pilot program for participation in what has become known as EEM (electronic export manifest).
Export manifest submission will follow the same guidelines as import (AMS) required 24 hours prior to loading on the vessel.
Today, vessel operating carriers can submit their manifest via email using the DIS (Document Imaging System), saving the cost of printed documents. Soon, and long before the preloading and EDI requirement is enforced, the DIS option will be discontinued and carriers will be expected to either transmit electronically or go back to the printed paper submissions.
While the NVOCC community today has no requirement to file house bills, nor give the carrier their proprietary shipper/consignee information, the coming requirement simply states that house bill details will have to be filed, including the actual shipper and consignee parties.
CBP will not mandate this data be filed by the NVO/FF, just that it must be filed. As the trade experienced at the initiation of import AMS, the NVO/FF will have 2 options:
File HBL yourself electronically.
Provide the actual HBL information to the carrier to file on your behalf.
While carriers initially accepted the responsibility of these submissions, substantial surcharges for the service soon were implemented.
Vilden has been certified for export EDI transmissions for more than 2 years. If you are not prepared before the Federal Register Notice mandating the submission of house bills, you run the risk of pushing against a deadline to make the necessary changes and/or having to share your information with other NVO/FF (consolidation) or carriers.
One of the advantages of early participation via the pilot is the opportunity to work with CBP to refine the business process, take your time to modify your internal work flow to comply and be prepared ahead of the mandatory filing requirement.
We urge the trade, both carriers, NVOCC, Freight Forwarders or anyone preparing export documentation to become educated and consider participating in this important pilot program.
If you are interested in more details on the requirements to join as a pilot participant and to register, or any additional questions on these changes or filing with US Customs, you can reach out to us anytime, stay safe!
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