E-Commerce

Statistics

De minimis volume and values are based on the number of bills of lading and their declared value at the time of import.

Section 321 BOLs (De Minimis)

Examples of Unacceptable vs Acceptable Cargo Descriptions

19 CFR § 4.7a, 122.48a, 123.91, 123.92 and 128.21 require a precise, or specific, description of merchandise regardless of value. A precise cargo description is a description of an item that is clear and concise. The description should be in plain language and detailed enough to allow U.S. Customs to identify the size, shape and characteristics of the commodity. Only the cargo description should be included in the field of transmission. Superfluous information, not relevant to the commodity description e.g., personally identifiable information (PII), type of packaging, carrier disclaimers, etc., should not be transmitted in the commodity description field.

The following list, provided by CBP, is a guide to acceptable and unacceptable descriptions. This list is not exhaustive and will continue to expand as unacceptable descriptions are identified and acceptable descriptions are further refined. Descriptions in the Acceptable column should be viewed only as examples of the items they actually describe and not as a list of specifically acceptable or restrictive terms.

Vague Item Description

Latest E-Commerce Announcements

Announcement of the Extension of the Section 321 Data Pilot to allow additional partners

CBP has announced that it will extend the test for another two years and open the pilot to allow additional partners to participate. This expansion will allow CBP to continue further evaluation of the 321 Data Pilot program and the risks associated with section 321 shipments. The voluntary pilot initially began on August 22, 2019 and will run for an additional 24 months through August 2025. For additional information, see 88 FR 10140.

Announcement of the Extension of the Section 321 Data Pilot

CBP has announced that it will extend the test for another two years to continue further evaluation of the 321 Data Pilot program and the risks associated with section 321 shipments. The voluntary pilot initially began on August 22, 2019, and will run for an additional 24 months through August 2023. At this time, the pilot is limited to a maximum of nine participants. For additional information, see 86 FR 48435.

Announcement of Administrative Ruling Related to Domestic Warehouses and Fulfillment Centers

CBP has issued an administrative ruling that clarifies whether importations made by a nonresident importer in one day and sent to a U.S. fulfillment facility or warehouse may qualify for informal duty-free entry under 19 U.S.C. § 1321(a)(2)(c). The administrative ruling went into effect on July 28, 2020 and was published in the Customs Rulings Online Search System (CROSS) on July 31, 2020.

• CSMS Message
• CROSS Message
• Press Release
• Administrative Ruling Related to Domestic Warehouses and Fulfillment Centers One Pager: English Translation | Mandarin Translation
• Administrative Ruling Related to Domestic Warehouses and Fulfillment Centers Frequently Asked Questions

CBP Issues Counterfeit Awareness Guides for Consumers and Importers

The rapid growth of e-commerce has revolutionized the way goods are bought and sold, allowing for counterfeit and pirated goods to flood our borders and penetrate our communities and homes. Illicit goods trafficked to American consumers threaten public health and safety, as well as national security. This illicit activity impacts American innovation and erodes the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturers and workers.

CBP encourages you to review and broadly disseminate the attached guides, “Awareness of Counterfeits in E-Commerce” and “The Price of Importing Counterfeit Goods”. The purpose of these guides is to help U.S. consumers and importers understand the risk and consequences associated with counterfeit goods. For more information or questions, please contact CBP’s E-Commerce Branch at ecommerce@cbp.dhs.gov.

E-Commerce Counterfeit Awareness Guide for Consumers

E-Commerce Counterfeit Awareness Guide for Importers

U.S. Customs and Border Protection wants to help you and your family stay healthy and safe. Some foreign online sellers may be taking advantage of American consumers by charging high prices for counterfeit or substandard sanitation products and safety equipment. See the E-Commerce Consumer Awareness for COVID-19 Safety and be aware before you buy.

E-commerce has expanded foreign sellers’ market access to the United States. However, these sellers may not have all pertinent information to comply with U.S. admissibility law. CBP recently released a new E-Commerce Compliance Guide that will help online sellers comply with basic import requirements so that their shipments are less likely to be detained by CBP and more likely to be cleared quickly.

E-Commerce Compliance Guide

CBP Acting Commissioner Mark Morgan announced the selection of nine entities participating in CBP’s Section 321 Data Pilot. Under the pilot, CBP and participants, including online marketplaces, will partner to secure e-commerce supply chains, protect American consumers, and expedite legitimate trade. Press Release - Section 321 Data Pilot

E-Commerce Challenges

E-Commerce is a growing segment of the U.S. economy and has been increasing significantly for the past several years. Consumer habits are changing as the internet empowers individuals to make purchases online. These advances in economic activity have led to increasing volumes of imports of small, just-in-time packages, creating inspection challenges for CBP. E-Commerce shipments pose the same health, safety, and economic security risks as containerized shipments, but the volume is higher and growing. Additionally, transnational criminal organizations are shipping illicit goods to the United States via small packages due to a perceived lower interdiction risk and less severe consequences if the package is interdicted. Furthermore, new or infrequent importers often possess less familiarity with U.S. customs laws and regulations, which can lead to the importation of non-compliant goods. CBP must increase its ability to address the administrative and resource challenges this creates, particularly when coupled with the growing volume of e-commerce trade.

E-Commerce Strategy

To address the above mentioned challenges, CBP developed its E-Commerce Strategy, which turns on four primary goals.

This strategy highlights private industry and foreign governments as key resources in CBP's continuous assessment of the e-commerce environment. The strategy includes efforts to educate the public and trade community to ensure they understand their responsibilities as importers to comply with customs regulations. The strategy also emphasizes enforcement initiatives, such as streamlining enforcement processes affected by increasing e-commerce volumes, leveraging enforcement partnerships with partner government agencies and foreign governments, and improving data collection from CBP targeting systems and field personnel. Select E-Commerce Strategy to learn more.