Representative Name:

Aurora Hernandez

Email Address:

ahernandez@janelgroup.com

Phone Number:

346-439-8202

For information regarding Tariffs, click here.

Each commercial shipment of goods is required to have a Customs bond 'to protect the revenue of the United States and to assure compliance with any pertinent law, regulation or instruction'. The options for a Customs Bond are Single Entry Bond, meaning a new bond for each shipment, or a Continuous Bond, that is valid for all entries for a year. Rice University has a Power of Attorney with Janel Group and a Continuous Bond Customs filed on 01/08/16. The bond will remain effective until terminated – the premiums are billed yearly.

What does Janel Group provide to you?

To be effective as Rice University's broker, it is important advise your shippers to show Janel Group as the "notify party" on the shipping documents and Bill of Lading. This will enable Janel Group to receive the documents from an Airline and arrival notice from a Steamship Line and to get information from any carrier. It is also helpful to have the shipper send Janel Group, documentation on the shipment prior to the export so they can be sure they will have everything needed to clear the shipment.

Janel Group can arrange for delivery of your shipment upon clearance, if needed. The cost depends on pieces, dimensions, and weight.

>If Rice University has imports via vessel, the ISF regulation would apply. An ISF is required to be filed for ocean shipments PRIOR to shipment laden on a vessel destined for the United States. Usually the shipper will complete and forward for filing.

Fees for Customs Clearance:

Forms:

ISF Application   -     OR       

Important Terms:

A steamship line is a firm that provides scheduled passenger and/or cargo transportation services through its own or leased vessels. 

A power of attorney (POA) or letter of attorney is a written authorization to represent or act on another's behalf in private affairs, business, or some other legal matter, sometimes against the wishes of the other. The person authorizing the other to act is the principal, grantor, or donor (of the power).

A bill of lading (sometimes abbreviated as B/L or BoL) is a document issued by a carrier which details a shipment of merchandise and gives title of that shipment to a specified party.

The Importer Security Filing (ISF), also known as 10+2, is a US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regulation requiring importers and vessel carriers to provide data electronically to CBP for in-bound ocean shipments.

Effective October 1, 2011, the Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF) for formal entries is an ad valorem fee of 0.3464 percent. The fee is based on the value of the merchandise being imported, not including duty, freight, and insurance charges. The maximum amount of the fee shall not exceed $485 and shall not be less than $25.

The Harbor Maintenance Fees (HMF) is intended to require those who benefit from maintenance of U.S. ports and harbors to share the cost of the maintenance. The fee has been assessed on port use associated with imports, exports, and movement of cargo and passengers between domestic ports.

Tariffs:

U.S. and China Announce Trade Deal

On December 13, the United States and China came to terms on a Phase One trade agreement that will require China to make structural reforms and other changes to their economic and trade philosophies in the areas of "intellectual property, technology transfer, agriculture, financial services, and currency and foreign exchange." This agreement also requires China to make "substantial additional purchases of U.S. goods and services in the coming years" as well as establishing a strong dispute resolution system. In return, the U.S. is required to modify its Section 301 tariff actions.

After the deal was announced, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) released a CSMS message stating:

The List 2 duties covered by the $300 billion tariff action have been suspended indefinitely and will not go into effect on December 15, 2019.

CBP will provide updates to any changes to the 15 percent Section 301 duties applicable to the products of China covered by List 1.

REQUEST FOR DUTY-FREE ENTRY OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS OR APPARATUS

FORM ITA-338P (REV. 4-20) - This form is required if shipping from an international company in which the equipment is not sold or able to acquire within the US.

In order to seek a waiver of duty for instruments supporting research, an application is to be completed and submitted in accordance with Department of Commerce and Department of Homeland Security regulations, INSTRUMENTS AND APPARATUS FOR EDUCATIONAL AND SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTIONS, 15 CFR, Part 301.

The form can be found here: https://enforcement.trade.gov/sips/sipsform/ita-338p.pdf

1. Researcher completes the form.  Please take care in completing the form in its entirety and follow the instructions very carefully.
2. Review the regulations prior to completing and mailing your application. If additional space is required for any answer, answer on a separate sheet, identify the question being answered, and attach to the form taking care to make reference to which question is being answered in accordance with the instructions.
3. Once completed, the form may be submitted via email to ERIN.M.FREY@cbp.dhs.gov, or through US Mail. If sending by US Mail, five (5) copies are required of the application, one of which must bear an ORIGINAL signature.  All five hardcopies (one with an original signature) must be mailed to:

U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Attention: Entry Process and Duty Refunds Branch
Washington, D.C. 20229

4. Prepare the Requisition in Rice Marketplace and attach an electronic copy of the application along with all other relevant documentation to the INTERNAL ATTACHMENTS in the requisition.
5. Submit the requisition for reviews and approvals.  Once the requisition is approved and the Purchase Order is issued, email a copy a digital copy of the purchase order and the digital form ITA-338P to W.R. Zanes, Rice University’s designated customs broker (email address: petrea@wrzanes.com). You may also notify Procurement (email:  directorprocurement@rice.edu) and they can do this for you.