Record Keeping

Record Keeping

  • Recordkeeping Cross-Border Canada & Mexico

    Question: Sanity Check! Import entries into the US from Canada: Is a truck bill of lading necessary to evidence the right to make entry?  Is the truck or rail inward manifest acceptable to suffice as the “right to make entry”? Exports from the US to Mexico: Is there a truck bill of lading for the […]

  • Entry records for DHL ad FEDEX Shipments?

    Question: We have shipments under CIF and CIP terms sent from Japan to the US. These entries are not on our ACE report because DHL and FedEx cleared customs, acting as the IOR. We have received invoices for duties and taxes from them, and we’ve noticed that the ENTRY numbers either start with AEK (for […]

  • Record Retention

    Question: Hi! Is it actually necessary to apply for permission to use electronic record retention? Seems to be an outdated requirement. We are a large importer (over 50000 entries per year), so keeping paper records is not reasonable. We’d like to use flash drives or an online storage or SharePoint type site. What methods do […]

  • Email Retention Policy

    Question: Corporate legal has mandated an EMAIL RETENTION POICY that ALL emails are to be systematically deleted after 2 years. Due to the fact that 19 CFR § 163.4 Records are to be maintained for 5 years, and Records include email correspondence, how do other organizations address this challenge? Thanks, Answer 1: I am going […]

  • Record Keeping for Multiple Providers

    Question: Hi Group,  I have a client who are manually entering data about their shipments (domestic and international) on an excel spreadsheet. They use a variety of carriers. My suggestion had been to request quarterly reports from all vendors with fields appropriate to their needs and for compliance, and that they should also sign up […]

  • BL Shipper

    Question: What party is to be listed as the SHIPPER on the ocean bill of lading? We have a routed export scenario where we arrange for an ocean booking with our foreign customer’s agent in the U.S.  Bookings can be for 10+ containers at a time out of West Coast ports and are on the […]

  • Canada’s Recordkeeping Requirements

    Question: Good day. We would like to seek feedback on best practices for keeping cradle to grave import and export records in Canada. What would be the primary and supporting documents to keep? Answer 1: Hi there, Your best bet would be to comply with CBSA’s Administrative Guidelines. See https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/dm-md/d17/d17-1-21-eng.htmlIf you are a non-resident importer […]

  • Canada site managing US site Customs operations

    Question: We recently acquired a business with a site in CA and in the US.  The CA office manages all Customs operations for both sites.  Is it OK that the Customs documents for the US IOR be kept and maintained in Canada or does the US site also need to maintain the Customs records for […]

  • Import Freight Charges for Compliance Record Keepng

    Question: I do know for compliance purposes records for Imports must be kept for 7 years; however regarding the freight charges (aka: ocean charges or inland drayage charges to our warehouse)  be included in the record keeping as well ? Answer 1: We do, we keep all the shipping records (AWB, BL, CI and PL) […]

  • Courier

    Question: Recently my client requested a shipping report from the couriers who handle their shipment. The couriers are well known and the volume is in the low thousands per quarter. The shipments are all DDP and low value. My past experience is that the companies have included more information than what was requested and we […]

  • Record keeping – corporate email, personal email, texts, WhatsApp, Slack, Instant Messaging etc

    QUESTION: I am noticing that a lot of folks in my company are communicating to trade compliance and to other functional areas or to vendors about matters related to trade compliance in a bunch of different modes of communication such as corporate email, personal email, text, Instant Messaging, and other apps.  There are probably many […]

  • Customs Recordkeeping

    QUESTION: Is copy of the FDA Prior Notice a required import record?  If yes, what is acceptable to use? ========== Answer: probably.  read this – https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-19/chapter-I/part-163 make sure you read Appendix to Part 163 – Interim (a)(1)(A) List Section 509(a)(1)(A) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended by title VI of Public Law 103-182, commonly referred […]