ISF Knowledge Corner

The Importer Security Filing (ISF) Rule — originally known as 10+2 — has far-reaching implications for supply chain operations, inventory carrying costs, and the overall cost and risk of doing business. This Knowledge Corner contains links to resources that can help you better understand and meet the challenges posed by the regulation.

ISF Resources

Latest ISF News

ISF Blog: To keep up to date on everything ISF, visit this blog. Here are the latest posts:

Key ISF Organizations

• Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

  CBP is one of the Department of Homeland Security's largest and most complex components, with a priority mission of keeping terrorists and their weapons out of the U.S. It also has a responsibility for securing and facilitating trade and travel while enforcing hundreds of U.S. regulations, including immigration and drug laws. CBP has a very helpful page here, which includes an analysis of the Rule, a fact sheet, and a 10+2 FAQ.

• ICPA

  ICPA is a leading global professional association for compliance professionals.

Webinars

• Webinar: ISF Crunch Time: Lessons You Can Apply With 22 Weeks To Go (08/25/09)

  American Shipper's Associate Editor Eric Kulisch moderated a panel discussion designed to help importers understand the evolving importer security filing (ISF) regulation, explore recent developments and answer pressing questions. Panelists included Virginia Thompson, Manager Import/Export Operations and Trade Compliance at Crate & Barrel, Sunil Sharma, Director of Product Management at GT Nexus, and Beth Peterson, President of BPE. Here are some questions and answers from the webinar.

• Webinar: 10+2: Finding a Way Forward (02/25/2009)

  Hosted by American Shipper's Associate Editor, Eric Kulisch, this is an interactive panel discussion designed to help importers understand the new 10 + 2 regulation, explore recent developments and answer pressing questions. Here are some questions and answers from the webinar, compiled by BPE.

Resources for Similar Programs in Canada and Europe

• Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)

  This Canadian agency is in the process of implementing a program called the Advance Commercial Information (ACI) program, which is similar to the US ISF. The program is designed to support all modes of transit eventually. Like the US ISF program, the first mode will be Ocean and is currently scheduled for initial roll-out in 2012.

• European Union

  The European Union, made up of 27 member countries, is in the process of modernizing all of their Customs systems, including the addition of the Import Control System (ICS) to accommodate pre-shipment security authorization much like the US ISF program. While each country is implementing a little differently, the regulations became effective from 1 January 2011 making filing mandatory.