As part of U.S. Customs’ ongoing initiative to maintain compliance in an ever-evolving industry, they are beginning to “crack down” on vague cargo descriptions, such as “parts,” “accessories,” “textiles,” and “cleaning supplies.”
One often overlooked requirement for a compliant commercial invoice is the need for a precise, or specific, description of the merchandise being imported, regardless of value (as required by the Customs Regulations – 19 CFR § 4.7a, 122.48a, 123.91, 123.92 and 128.21). The description should be in plain language and detailed enough to allow U.S. Customs to identify the size, shape and characteristics of the commodity.
Importers, VOCCs, NVOCCs, and customs brokers are all held to the same standards and expected to screen both the documents and the information transmitted in the customs entry for compliance.
If your Taggart customs brokerage representative identifies a non-compliant invoice, you will be notified so that a more specific description can be agreed upon. Additionally, if an entry has already been made and CBP recognizes a vague cargo description, CBP will begin using ACE to send back messages regarding unsatisfactory cargo descriptions, usually after the cargo is released. If such a message is received, your Taggart customs brokerage representative will reach out to you in order to ensure a compliant cargo description is used going forward. Repeated offenses could result in further action such as suspended releases, cargo holds, CF28s, etc.
CBP has provided the below guide, available on their website, of compliant vs non-compliant cargo descriptions. Please keep in mind that this list is simply a guide; it is not exhaustive and will remain dynamic as it continues to expand with updates.
As always, if you are unsure or would like to talk through a specific question, please reach out to your Taggart sales representative or customs brokerage agent. We are more than happy to assist!
| Unacceptable | Acceptable |
| “Brand” or “Trade Mark” names by themselves, i.e., “Bubbles Brand” | “Bubbles Brand” Laundry Detergent |
| Laundry Detergent | |
| Animals | Horse |
| Poultry | |
| Bovine | |
| Apparel/Clothing/Garments | Shoes, Footwear |
| Wearing Apparel, Ladies’ Apparel, Men’s Apparel | Women’s Dresses |
| Men’s Shirts | |
| Boy’s Jackets | |
| Appliances | Refrigerator |
| Stove | |
| Microwave Oven | |
| Coffee Machines | |
| Accessories | Hair Elastics |
| Sunglasses | |
| Socks | |
| Auto Parts | Air Filters |
| Automobile Brakes | |
| Automotive Windshield | |
| Bill of Lading, Sea Waybill, Air Manifest or a reference to another bill of lading number | A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples |
| Caps | Baseball Caps |
| Blasting Caps | |
| Bottle Caps | |
| Hub Caps | |
| Chemicals, hazardous | Actual Chemical Name (not brand name): |
| U.N. HAZMAT Code Identifier | |
| Chemicals, non-hazardous | Aluminum Potassium Sulfate |
| Methyl Alcohol | |
| U.N. HAZMAT Code Identifier | |
| Cleaning Products | Detergents |
| Mops | |
| Window Cleaner | |
| Company Business | A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples |
| Consolidated (on house or simple bills) | Consolidated (only on master bills, where there will be several house bills of varying descriptions) |
| Consumer Goods | A clear and concise description of the item is required |
| Crafts/Craft Supplies | Pipe Cleaners |
| Daily Necessities | A clear and concise description of the item is required (e.g. Plastic Comb, Cosmetic Mirror, Deodorant, Diapers) |
| Necessities | A clear and concise description of the item is required (e.g. Shampoo, Hand Cream, Toilet Paper) |
| Handicrafts | Construction paper, cotton balls, pipe cleaners, pompoms, decorative objects made by hand |
| Electronic Goods | Computers, Monitors, Televisions, Mobile Telephones, DVD players, Electronic Toys, Video Game Consoles, Electronic Dolls |
| Equipment | Oil Well Equipment, Hydro-Electric Turbine |
| Industrial Equipment | Poultry Equipment, Compact Farm Tractor |
| Film | Camera Film |
| Polyethylene Film | |
| Polyester Film | |
| Flooring | Wood Flooring |
| Carpet | |
| Ceramic Tile | |
| Marble Flooring | |
| Foodstuffs | Packaged Rice, Bulk Rice, Mangos, Baking Flour |
| Food | Pasta, Canned Tuna, Corn Tortillas |
| Meat | Fresh Beef, Frozen Chicken |
| Fish | Live Trout, Frozen Salmon, Canned Tuna |
| Produce/Assorted Produce/Mixed produce/Mix Veg | Fresh Oranges, Frozen Broccoli, Canned Peaches |
| Pet food | Canned Dog Food, Dry Cat Food |
| Cases of Food | Juice, Olive Oil |
| Snacks | Soda, Crackers, Potato Chips |
| Gifts | Dolls, Basketball, Toy Car |
| Novelty Items | Remote Control Cars, Toy Phone |
| Frames | Picture Frames |
| Freight Prepaid | A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples |
| Household Goods/Personal Effects | Acceptable only when goods are Personal / Used Household Effects transported by a commercial carrier (Goods accounted under a Personal Effects Accounting Document) |
| Indecipherable descriptions ex. “RED SMOOTH MODULAR”, “CDRE”, “D6T PARTS”, “RIPE”, “Z”, “2” | A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples |
| Iron | Iron Pipes |
| Iron Plates | |
| Leather Articles | Saddles |
| Leather Handbags | |
| Leather Jackets | |
| Shoes | |
| Machines | Sewing Machines |
| Printing Machines | |
| Machine Parts | Oil Pumps |
| Silicone Seals | |
| Car Engines | |
| Medical Supplies | Medical Gloves, N95 Masks, Rolls of Gauze |
| Biologicals | Blood, plasma, tissue, semen |
| Medical Device | Dialysis Machine |
| Laboratory Goods | Syringes |
| Glass vials for laboratory use | |
| Medication/Pharmaceuticals | Insulin, Allergy Medication, with the common name or chemical name |
| Metal | Ingots of metal (precious or otherwise) |
| Round bars of steel or other metal | |
| Deformed bars/rebars (of metal) | |
| Plates (of metal) | |
| Billets (of metal) | |
| Slabs (of metal) | |
| Pipes (of metal) | |
| Beams (of metal) | |
| Tubes/Tubing (of metal) | |
| Angles, shapes and sections (of metal) | |
| Sheets (of metal) | |
| Expanded metal | |
| Flat bars (of metal) | |
| Strand wire (of metal) | |
| Oil | Mineral Oil |
| Motor Oil | |
| Olive Oil | |
| Online Retailer, Online Retailer Shipment | A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples |
| Ore | Iron Ore |
| Copper Ore | |
| Packaging | Corrugated Cardboard Boxes |
| Boxes | Mailing Envelopes |
| Cartons | Plastic Bubble Wrap |
| Palletized Shipment | A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples |
| Paper | Paper Rolls |
| Wrapping Paper | |
| Paper Pulp | |
| Paper Towel | |
| Printing Paper | |
| Pipes | Plastic Pipes |
| PVC Pipes | |
| Steel Pipes | |
| Plants/Flowers | Tulips, Daisies, Roses |
| Cuttings | Cedar Saplings |
| Tomato Plants | |
| Plastic Goods | Plastic Kitchenware |
| Industrial Plastics | Plastic Toys |
| Plastic Sheets | |
| Plastic Tubes | |
| Polyurethane | Polyurethane Threads |
| Polyurethane Medical Gloves | |
| Powder | Flea Powder |
| Baby Powder | |
| Corn Starch | |
| Promotional Items | A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples |
| Pump | Oil Pump |
| Water Pump | |
| Bicycle Pump | |
| Rubber Articles | Rubber Hoses |
| Tires | |
| Rubber Toys | |
| Rubber Conveyor Belts | |
| Rods | Welding Rods |
| Rebar | |
| Aluminum Rods | |
| Reactor Rods | |
| Sample | Shampoo Sample |
| Conditioner Sample | |
| Makeup Sample | |
| Scrap | Plastic Scrap |
| Aluminum Scrap | |
| Iron Scrap | |
| Serial Number only (“SN HAFR997MJ02041010”) | A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples |
| Shingles | Asphalt Shingles |
| Steel Shingles | |
| Wood Shingles | |
| Spare Parts | Cellphone Replacement Screen |
| New Automobile Breaks | |
| Sporting Goods | Hockey Sticks |
| Soccer Balls | |
| Goal Nets | |
| STC (Said to Contain) | A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples |
| General Cargo | A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples |
| FAK (Freight of All Kinds) | A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples |
| “No Description” | A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples |
| ‘Misc/Miscellaneous’ | A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples |
| Various | A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples |
| General | A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples |
| Unknown | A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples |
| UNK | A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples |
| XX | A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples |
| NOI (Not Otherwise Indicated) | A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples |
| NES (Note Elsewhere Specified) | A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples |
| Steel | Steel Plates |
| Steel Coils | |
| Supplements | Vitamins |
| Protein Powder | |
| Supplies | A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples |
| Stuff | A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples |
| Taxable Groceries | Ice Cream |
| Potato Chips | |
| Textiles | Carpets/Rugs |
| Silk | |
| Finished Fabric Rolls | |
| Thing | A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples |
| Tiles | Marble Tiles |
| Toiletries/Bathroom Products | Towels |
| Toothbrushes | |
| Shampoo | |
| Tools | Screwdrivers, Wrenches, Hammers |
| Cordless Drills, Circular Saws, Wired Impact Drivers, Pneumatic Ratchets | |
| Industrial Lathe, Band Saw, Reciprocating Saw | |
| Toys/Games | Wooden Children’s Toys |
| Plastic Children’s Toys | |
| Board Games | |
| Console Games | |
| Vehicles | Cars, Trucks, Buses, Recreational Vehicle |
| Tractors, Combines | |
| Bicycles | |
| Boats | |
| Wires | Steel Wire |
| Copper Wire | |
| Auto Harness | |
| Coiled Wire (Industrial) | |
| Wood | Hemlock logs with bark |
| Empty Wood Pallets | |
| Cut Lumber |
