Customs Manifest Business: Definition, Role, and Supervision

A critical component of cross-border goods clearance procedures is customs manifest management. It plays a pivotal role in cargo transportation and declaration, essential for both import and export processes. However, public understanding of manifests and their role in clearance remains limited. This article elaborates on the definition of manifests, how customs regulates them, and key considerations for manifest data declaration.

A manifest, formally known as the Cross-Border Transport Vehicle Manifest, serves as a record of goods, items, and passenger information carried by cross-border transport vehicles. Manifests come in various types, primarily including the original manifest, pre-loading manifest, and loading manifest. In the cargo clearance process, the importance of manifests is self-evident. Only after successful manifest data transmission can other clearance procedures for imported or exported goods and items proceed smoothly. Thus, manifests are the cornerstone of the clearance process.import and exportDefinitions of Professional Terms in Manifests

During manifest data declaration, certain considerations must not be overlooked. When submitting original or pre-loading manifests, some data fields are interrelated and must be completed together. Certain information cannot be modified when amending manifest data. When deleting a message, details such as the manifest transmitters name, voyage number, transport vehicle code, and master bill of lading number must be provided. Additionally, fields like change reason code, change reason description, change requesters name, and contact number are only required for amendment or deletion messages.

When handling manifest operations, several key reminders should be noted: the bill of lading number in the manifest must not be reused within two years. From the date customs accepts electronic manifest data, manifest transmitters, customs supervision site operators, and tally departments must retain paper manifests, tally reports, arrival notices, and related records for three years.

In summary, customs manifest operations are complex and meticulous, requiring familiarity with professional terminology, clear understanding of message submission rules, and adherence to operational standards to ensure successful completion.

Customs Manifest Operations: Definition, Role, and Regulation