NVOCCs and VOCCs will be required to present to U.S. Customs timely and accurate information regarding most ocean cargo at least 24 hours before lading on a vessel making a call on a U.S. port.

On December 2, 2002, the rule takes effect and Customs expects the information to be provided. For the first 60 days, Customs plans to work through implementation issues and will not enforce the penalty provisions except for fraudulent violations.

During the next 9 months, Customs will implement similar requirements on all modes of transportation – rail, truck, air, and sea – for both imports and exports.

For your convenience, we have compiled additional information from a variety of public sources and our industry and operational expertise:

• A Summary of the 24-Hour Rule