Page 20 - Port of Baltimore - Issue 1 - 2023

CARGO
Journey
of a Piece of Cargo
But the work of importing a piece of cargo begins long before the vessel even reaches the Port. One of the first members of the Port community to become
involved is the customs broker, an entity that represents the importer and is regulated by U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP).
The customs broker helps with ensuring that the import cargo complies with trade regulations and doesn’t pose any sort of security threat, said Lee Connor, President of John S. Connor, Inc. “That puts companies like us on the front lines of the security apparatus.” The company is one of Baltimore’s longest-standing customs brokers and freight forwarders, founded in 1917.
Before the cargo is even loaded onto the vessel at the point of origin, the importer — or the customs broker on the importer’s behalf — submits an Importer Security Filing (ISF) to CBP. The ISF contains information such as where the cargo was manufactured and where it was loaded into containers.
Once the ISF has been filed, CBP “runs the information through their computer bank. They have the right to tell the ocean carrier, ‘Don’t load that cargo,’” Connor said.
However, if there are no obvious issues with the cargo or the ISF, customs will issue a preliminary release of the cargo.
Then, within five days of the vessel’s arrival at its destination, the customs broker will file the customs
CBP Agriculture Specialists Morris (left)
and Furrow (right) examine an invasive plant that they detected in a container. The Latin name of the weed is Saccharum spontaneum (wild sugar cane).
entry. “That’s when we declare how the cargo should be classified — whether it’s duty-free, or if it has duty, how much,” Connor said. “Hopefully all goes well with that and the cargo is then formally released by Customs as of the date of arrival.”
Timely filing of the entry is crucial so that the importer can avoid demurrage fees. “Import cargo in containers generally has four or five days of free time [at the terminal],” Connor said. “So we’re looking to get the cargo release
as soon as possible. We also have to ensure the cargo is released by the shipping line — collect charges paid, bill of lading presented, etc. Then we can issue a delivery order
to the trucker and make arrangements for the trucker to go into the terminal and pick up the cargo for final delivery.”
Making that process run smoothly, Connor noted, requires staying in touch not only with the importer and U.S. Customs, but also with the shipping lines, terminal operators like PAC and with the truckers who will transport the cargo to its final destination.
[18] The Port of Baltimore ■ ISSUE 1 / 2023