Effective November 12, 2024, all shippers and forwarders must provide accurate and precise descriptions to American Airlines Cargo in the shipment paperwork (AWB/HAWB) or electronic message (FWB/FHL) for all shipments traveling to, including transiting through, the U.S.
CBP is aiming to address vague cargo descriptions including, but not limited to, “gift”, “daily necessities”, “accessories”, “parts” and “consolidated”. “Consolidated” is only acceptable at the master bill level. Carriers and other parties electing to file electronic cargo information data to CBP are required to provide a precise description of the cargo.
Ensuring compliance with this directive is crucial for smooth and efficient processing of shipments. Failure to comply with this requirement will result in rejection by CBP and non-movement of cargo.
As a reminder, generic, vague or incomplete cargo descriptions, such as “General Freight of All Kinds” (FAK), “Said to Contain” (STC), “General Cargo,” “E-Commerce," “gift," “daily necessities,” “accessories,” “parts,” “consolidated” (“consolidated” is only acceptable at the Master Air Waybill level), and similar terms are not acceptable and are prohibited under U.S. Customs regulations. For more details, please refer to the CBP’s list of Unacceptable and Acceptable descriptions.
Brokers and freight forwarders who self-file House Air Waybills are held to the same standard as carriers and are expected to screen data for compliance with cargo declaration regulations.
Thank you for your compliance and continued support.