Thursday, May 28, 2009

AAEI says 10+2 Costs will Mount

The American Association of Exporters and Importers (AAEI) in comments filed last week urged caution over the costs of U.S. Customs’ Importer Security Filing (10+2) interim final rule. 10+2 requires cargo information to be transmitted to CBP agents at least 24 hours before goods are shipped to the United States.

AAEI expressed concern to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) that the costs of 10+2 compliance are still unknown. In the first months of implementation, the only cost CBP is capturing is the transaction fee for filing. However, AAEI notes that the true costs are much higher, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises. Plus, hidden costs of 10+2 compliance will add up quickly due to delays and slowdowns in the supply chain.

AAEI is also concerned about the lack of tangible benefits for voluntary participation in the costly C-TPAT program, and recommends that CBP allow C-TPAT members to satisfy 10+2 requirements by providing routine data at the aggregate level for common shipments.

For more information, please visit http://www.aaei.org