Prestige Worldwide Brokers
The Importer Security Filing, or ISF, is a program used by the United States Customs and Border Patrol (CBP). It CBP's job to stop incoming threats to the United States, which can be in the form of fraudulent licensed materials, drugs or contraband, or even items being illegally 'dumped' in the USA. Fraudulent items pose a risk to the American consumer, as they may or may not know the authenticity of the goods. It simultaneously protects the manufacturer as well, helping to ensure only their authentic goods are being sold. Dumping is an attempt of a foreign company to put local businesses out of business by offering the same or similar product at a cost well below the local price.
CBP Email for ISF Inquiries: security_filing_general@cbp.dhs.gov
ISF only applies to OCEAN shipments and contains the following information:
Importer of Record Number (EIN, SSN, or Tax ID)
Consignee Number (EIN, SSN, or Tax ID)
Ship To Party (Full Style Address)
Manufacturer/Supplier (Full Style Address)
Country of Origin
HTS Number (6 digits, ex: 1010.10)
Container Stuffing Location (Full Style Address)
Consolidator/Stuffer (Full Style Address)
When do I need to file my ISF? Is there a deadline to file ISF?
Yes! There is a deadline. ISF must be filed AT LEAST 24 hours prior to vessel departure. Because the ISF is required at least 24 hours prior to the vessel departure, a filing that is completed the same day the vessel sails will be considered a violation and it can be expected that CBP will issue a claim for an untimely filing. CBP uses the vessel departure date minus 24 hours to measure timeliness.
Here is a frequent question we receive: I have never imported before and was unaware of the ISF requirements. I want to submit my ISF, but my shipment already departed the last foreign port and now I cannot obtain a single transaction bond to cover the ISF since I’ve obviously run afoul of the requirements. At this time, importers who are unable to secure a bond after the ISF filing deadline may elect to use the ISF Submission Type 5 (Late ISF-10, No Bond) or ISF Submission Type 6 (Late ISF-5, No Bond). These submission types are subject to change. The use of these ISF submission types is an acknowledgement that the ISF requirements were not met and that the ISF is late. CBP reserves the right to take any and all appropriate actions (e.g., cargo holds and examinations) to enforce the ISF requirements in these cases. Please note that ISF Importers who already have coverage under existing Type 1, 2, 3, or 4 continuous bonds are not to use these submission types.In addition, CBP monitors the usage of these new ISF submission types and pays particular attention to any entity that attempts to use these submissions more than once.
What are the consequences of late filing?
ISF bond obligations commence 24 hours prior to vessel departure. The ISF Importer is liable for up to $10,000 per ISF for any of the following reasons:
Late ISF
$5,000 per late filing, or untimely filing of the ISF update, and/or untimely update to a flexible ISF
Inaccurate or Incomplete ISF
$5,000 per inaccurate or incomplete filing, which includes failure to update a flexible ISF at least 24 hours prior to vessel arrival, and/or arriving without securing a match to the bill of lading
We hope that you enjoyed this post and that it have a positive impact on you and your business! We plan to write blog entries to discuss current topics and frequently asked questions in order to help our customers succeed. A complete FAQ on ISF filings can be found here.
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