U.S. Customs proposes new split-shipment rules

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nov. 26, 2001) — The U.S. Customs Service proposed new rules that would allow importers to submit a single entry to cover multiple portions of a single shipment which has been split by the carrier and arrives separately in the United States.

Proposed single entry for split shipments is permitted under the Tariff Suspension & Trade Act of 2000. It would work as follows:

1. A shipment is delivered and accepted intact by the carrier in the export country under a single bill of lading or waybill to be shipped in its entirety. 2. The shipment is split by the carrier, acting on its own. 3. The split portions of the shipment remain consigned to the same importer in the U.S., which is named on the original waybill. And 4. Those portions of the split shipment that could be covered under the entry arrive directly from abroad at the same port of entry in the U.S. within 10 calendar days of the date the first portions arrived.

U.S. Customs will take comments through Jan. 15, 2002. Contact Keith Fleming, Office of Field Operations, at 202/927-1049