U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is preparing to tighten enforcement of customs reporting requirements, with importers facing the potential loss of their ability to bring goods into the United States if the information submitted to the agency is inaccurate.
Beginning September 18, CBP will revoke a shipper’s import privileges when inaccurate information appears in its customs filings, according to a Federal Register notice published last month. The agency also reserves the right to impose additional penalties, although the filing does not specify what those measures could involve.
CBP’s new requirement applies to every importer of record (IOR), regardless of whether the information is submitted through a customs broker. Importers remain responsible for ensuring that their information is accurate and up to date even after it has initially been filed with the agency.
When CBP determines that an importer has violated the requirement, it will notify the company in writing. The agency will also provide instructions explaining how the importer can work to reestablish its IOR standing.
As part of the implementation, CBP is conducting a “comprehensive” review of information held on file for shippers. The review is intended to identify potential inaccuracies in basic but critical records, including telephone numbers, email addresses and physical addresses.
CBP says accurate importer-of-record information is fundamental to enforcing U.S. customs and trade laws. The agency links the requirement to several priorities, including national security, product safety and the protection of government revenue.
The September 18 measure is the latest development in a broader customs enforcement campaign launched under the Trump administration. CBP has been implementing a series of initiatives following a June executive order from President Donald Trump that directed the agency to strengthen customs enforcement.
Among other measures, the executive order called for increased scrutiny of foreign importers of record and higher minimum penalties for shippers that fail to comply with customs requirements.
The order also requires IORs to remain in “good standing” with CBP within 180 days of the June 3 directive. The agency determines an importer’s standing by considering factors including its compliance history and payments made in connection with previous violations.
CBP is simultaneously examining other ways to strengthen supply chain oversight. The agency is considering the use of traceability technology and the collection of export documentation as part of its broader efforts to improve visibility across international trade flows.
For shippers, the expanding set of requirements is adding another layer of complexity to customs compliance. Industry experts say the growing regulatory burden makes supply chain visibility increasingly important while also putting greater pressure on companies to invest in compliance programs.
“If your compliance budget was denied last quarter, take this [executive order] to your CFO,” André Cruz, senior manager of trade and customs at KPMG US, said in a June LinkedIn post. He added that the return on investment from compliance efforts had effectively doubled.
With CBP preparing to enforce the new requirement from September 18, importers will need to pay close attention to the accuracy of the information they have on file and ensure that records remain current, even when customs brokers are involved.
