Shipments to Puerto Rico Will Need Export Documents

Carriers shipping goods into Puerto Rico must start filing Shippers Export Declarations on Oct. 10 or face enforcement action by the Customs Service.

SEDs have always been required by the government for “domestic ocean” shipments, but until now the rules were never enforced, said Sandra A. Scott, international trade and customs advocate for Roadway Express in Akron, Ohio.

In July, the Bureau of Export Administration and the Bureau of the Census issued a 90-day warning for carriers to prepare for enforcement of rules on shipments bound for Puerto Rico from the United States. The rules require that SEDs — normally only filed for goods exported to foreign countries — be filed if any one item listed on the bill of lading or invoice is worth over $2,500.

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On Oct. 10, Customs will begin cracking down on violators, with fines of $75 to $100 for each missing SED for Puerto Rico-bound shipments.



For the full story, see the Sept. 25 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.