The U.S. government recently released Executive Order 14411 directing government agencies to develop new rules for U.S. imports. Nothing changes for you today, as no rules have been finalized, no deadlines have been set, and your current import operations are not affected. However, we want to be sure you’re aware of this now so you have time to review your current customs arrangements and prepare for potential changes.

Your Importer of Record (IOR)—the person or company officially responsible for importing your goods into the United States, determines how you may be affected. Depending on how you ship today, your IOR may be you, your freight forwarder, or your customs broker.

The executive order contemplates different future requirements depending on how an IOR is classified, but the government has not yet finalized how those requirements will be implemented. If your IOR is classified as a foreign entity under the future rules, additional customs requirements could apply.

If you use a freight forwarder or customs broker, they can confirm your IOR status. We recommend contacting them and asking: "Is my Importer of Record a U.S. entity or a foreign entity?"

For more information on the proposed criteria and what the potential changes could mean for you, go to Understand How U.S. Import Regulatory Changes May Affect You.

We’ll continue to share updates as implementation details become available. For official regulatory updates, you can also go to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.