Importer Security Filing(ISF-10)

The Import Security filing, also known as the “10” requires importers to electronically transmit to Customs Border Protection 10 data elements 24 hours before loading any container onto a ship bound for the United States.

This file includes additional information from brokers, manufacturer of goods coming into the US; it has to be added in the bills of lading as needed. The bill of Lading program has now an additional tab called ISF which shows details about this, as well as the US Customs AMS module.

Depending on the case, the B/L will have an ISF-5 or ISF -10. The ISF -5 applies to B/L’s that are FROB or In bond B/L’s. An additional format with 5 requirements needs to be filled out, as follows:

The ISF-5 shows the Shipment Type, which will be selected from a drop-down list, depending on the case; Booking party, which behaves the same way as a CMS component with all its properties, such as Replacements. Also multiple parties can be added if needed, by clicking on the Add or More button. This applies to the Ship To field, as well.. Port of Unlading and Place of Delivery are taken from the information that has already been entered in the B/L. Same concept applies to the harmonized codes; they correspond to the scheduleB, already entered in the B/L detail section.

The ISF-10 has more information as seen in the picture below. This applies to all other cases different than FROB and in bond b/L’s.

It shows the Shipment Type, which will be selected from a drop-down list, depending on the case. Additional names, such as Manufacturer, Seller, Buyer, Ship to, Stuffing Location, and Consolidator, need to be provided in this file; these names as mentioned before, behave the same way as a CMS component with all its properties, such as Replacements. Also multiple parties can be added if needed, by clicking on the Add or More buttons. There are some other fields that are grayed out, meaning that this information is already assigned from the bill of lading. Country of origin needs to be pulled up from the drop-down list. It is important to assign the Schedule B number in the B/L , so that the information be already assigned in the ISF Form

Once the ISF has been entered, it can be sent to Customs by pressing the Send ISF button in the B/L itself or the AMS module. Its status will change form Pending to SEND. When the poller picks up this information and sends it to customs, it will change to SENT. The Status can be verified in a better way from the AMS module

Customs is also requiring 2 other aspects, to be transmitted via EDI to the Customs Border Protection:

1. Vessel Stow Plan to indicate the location of each container on the ocean vessel.

2. Container status messages (CSM), which detail information on the movement and status changes of a container as it travels through certain parts of the supply chain

This information needs to be sent 24 hour prior to loading the container into the vessel.