In the News

Effective 1 March 2012, the current International Organization for Standardization (ISO)’s mechanical seal standard will be replaced with a new ISO standard — ISO 17712:2010. The benefits of the new seal standards include 1) a reduced possibility of cargo theft; 2) reduced shipping delays that result when seals are broken or missing; and 3) increased detection of comprised or tampered seals.

The Mexican government will soon begin testing of their new electronic requirements for advance cargo data for departing and arriving flights. Servicio de Administración Tributaria (SAT) which oversees the customs operations of Mexico is working with airlines and forwarders on a new system that will move toward electronic clearance of cargo.

Representatives for most all of the airlines serving Mexico have had meetings with SAT and are working with them currently on testing their systems with the Mexican government. Mandatory advance electronic data for import and export is expected to be required sometime during 2011.

To find out more about the SAT requirements and frequently asked questions go to the technical information bulletin section of their website at

http://www.aduanas.sat.gob.mx/aduana_mexico/2008/sala_prensa/158_18792.html

There are 2 expected increases that will affect upcoming ocean import costs. 

The first increase is the General Rate Increase (GRI) that will occur in May.  The increase will affect the cost of goods coming to the United States from Asia.  Depending on the carrier, the cost of a 20 foot container will raise to $300-400, and the cost of a 40 ft container will increase to around $600. 

The second increase is the Peak Season Surcharge (PSS) which will go in to effect in June.

The 1st ISF 10+2 Rule Essay

Effective January 26 of 2010, importers will be faced with a $5,000 fine per violation if the ISF data is not filed.
This is a brand ocean containerized cargo new rule, called the “Importer Security Filing and Additional Carrier Requirements”, and is being enforced:

• to enhance the importer’s sphere of accountability back to the point of stuffing
• that will in turn enhance cargo targeting prior to the loading at the foreign port
• and ultimately should result in fewer exams for low risk shipments

The responsibility of the ISF importer for the “Importer Security Filing” covers the “10” data elements component of the rule, and the responsibility of “Additional Carrier Requirements” by the steamship line corresponds to the “+2” container tracking report portion of the rule. The 10 elements of the importer’s data are: seller, buyer, importer, consignee, manufacturer, ship to party, country of origin, harmonized tariff schedule (HTS) number, container stuffing location, and consolidator. The 2 elements of the steamship’s data are: vessel stow plan and container status messages.

The rule has been a goal of Customs and Border Patrol for many years, as an effort to push supply chain security efforts back from our borders to the point of origin (“stuffing”). The proposed rule was published back in January of 2008, with the final rule published last November of that same year (2008). The effective date of the rule was this past January (2009), and full enforcement of the rule is planned for January 26th, 2010.
Unitrans Worldwide, Inc. can conduct this mandatory government filing on your behalf and keep your company in compliance and save you possible fines.

The 2nd ISF 10+2 Rule Essay

If any data in a container changes while it is in transit between a foreign port and a US port, then according to Customs and Border Protection, the shipper must amend its Importer Security Filings and file them in the Federal Register. Only the party who originally filed the ISF is permitted to update the ISF.

If data changes while a container is in transit between a foreign port and a US port, the shipper must amend its Importer Security Filings according to Customs and Border Protection and filed in the Federal Register.