On December 9, 2019, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) published in the Federal Register a general notice that announces that CBP is modifying the Section 321 Data Pilot to include shipments arriving by ocean and to include international mail shipments. This notice also modifies the provisions governing misconduct under the pilot and extends the duration of the pilot an additional twelve months (through August 2021). On July 23, 2019, CBP published a general notice in the Federal Register (84 Fed. Reg. 35405) announcing the Section 321 Data Pilot, a voluntary pilot in which participants agree to electronically transmit certain advance data elements related to de minimis value shipments potentially eligible for release under section 321 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended. The purpose of the pilot is to improve CBP’s ability to effectively and efficiently identify and target high-risk shipments, including for narcotics, counter-proliferation, and health and safety risks, in the e-commerce environment.
The voluntary pilot began on August 22, 2019, and will run for a total of approximately 24 months, through August 2021. CBP will accept applications from prospective pilot participants at any time until CBP has identified a sufficient number of eligible participants. At this time, the pilot is limited to a maximum of nine participants.
