CBP ISSUES INTERIM RULE ON TRANSMITTING CERTAIN ADVANCE ELECTRONIC INFORMATION FOR INTERNATIONAL MAIL SHIPMENTS
April 9, 2021
On March 13, 2021, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Bureau issued an interim final rule, Mandatory Advance Electronic Information for International Mail Shipments, available here. The interim rule was issued to implement the requirements of the Synthetics Trafficking and Overdose Prevention Act of 2018 (STOP Act) in an effort to address the threat of synthetic opioids and other dangerous items shipped to the United States. The rule requires the United States Postal Service (USPS) to transmit certain advance electronic data (AED) for certain inbound international mail shipments, within specified time frames. The interim rule also sets certain remedial actions that must be taken by USPS when the AED requirements are not met.
While the interim rule does not specifically apply to, or create new obligations for, airlines, there are concerns that airlines could be affected in situations where USPS fails to correctly submit the required AED to CBP on time, as USPS is required to refuse the shipment in these situations. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Airlines for America (A4A) plan to submit a joint comment on the interim rule. Other interested parties may submit comments until May 14, 2021.
If you have any questions, please contact Evelyn Sahr (esahr@eckertseamans.com or 202-659-6622); Drew Derco (dderco@eckertseamans.com or 202-659-6665), or Andy Orr (aorr@eckertsemans.com or 202-659-6625).
Share This Post
Authors
