Early Filing of Export Vessel Booking Reports Helps Avoid Delays, CBP Says

Carriers and non-vessel operating common carriers can avoid delays by early filing of export vessel booking reports, said Sergio Espinoza, acting CBP port director at the Los Angeles/Long Beach seaport, in a June 7 public bulletin. Such reports "annotating proof of Automated Export System (AES) filing citations or exemption legends when Electronic Export Information (EEI) is not required" should be sent for all non-bulk vessels by email to LALB-Outbound@CBP.DHS.GOV, he said. The agency "can better facilitate export shipments if carriers and NVOCC's provide export vessel booking reports three days prior to scheduled departure and once after document cutoff for all non-bulk vessels," Espinoza said. Carriers must all be sure not to move or manipulate cargo on "CBP Hold" without consulting a CBP officer or supervisor, it said. "Cargo that is placed on a 'CBP Hold' should remain on hold even if bookings are rolled to other vessels," he said.