U.S. Customs Steps Up ISF Enforcement
As reported by multiple sources, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has embarked on the next phase of enforcement for Importer Security Filing (ISF). Effective May 14, 2015, all penalties for ISF violations are being issued by local CBP ports, with CBP headquarters no longer involved in the review and approval process. In addition, for ISF-10 filings, the ports are no longer required to extend warnings before penalties are levied.
As a result, importers who fail to properly file ISF-10 are subject to minimum penalties of USD 5,000 per incident, including all infractions related to late, incomplete or incorrect filing. These penalties will be levied against the importer’s bond and enforced at all U.S. ports of entry. Once similar stipulations are finalized for ISF-5, which remains in a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) process, CBP will publish the ISF Final Rule, governing both ISF-10 and ISF-5 filings.
Walker will continue to monitor this situation and keep our customers apprised of the latest developments. In the meantime, if you have questions related to specific shipments or ISF filings, please feel free to contact your Walker representative.