If you are considering a COVID-19 humanitarian cargo flight to the U.S. (e.g., bulk movement of masks or PPE), here’s what you need to know:

• Article description, quantity, and value are the determining factors for importation requirements, not purpose of the mission. All goods must be screened and documented by U.S. CBP. There are no exemptions or reduced requirements for humanitarian aid flights.
• Declare early and be thorough – Advise U.S. CBP when arranging landing rights of ALL goods on board.
• If formal entry is required, utilize a Licensed U.S. Customs Broker. A broker will work proactively with U.S. CBP so arrivals go smoothly and without delay. See reference links below.
• Formal entry may affect itinerary, as not all ports have ability to process formal entry.

Resources and Links:

• Summary Process for Importation of Goods: https://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/assets/documents/2020-Mar/ACE-Entry-Summary-Process-Document-External-v10.0.pdf.
• 21.1 Informal Entries (Broker Not Required) – An informal entry is an entry with a value that does not exceed $2500. Informal entries liquidate at the time of release and have no bond requirements. Restricted and/or prohibited merchandise, and merchandise which is subject to a quota or other quantitative restraints, is not permitted to be filed on an informal entry, and thus requires formal entry.
• Broker Search Tool: https://www.cbp.gov/contact/find-broker-by-port.
• Formal Entry Summary and Formal Entry Document: https://www.cbp.gov/trade/programs-administration/entry-summary/cbp-form-7501.

Of course, we can help you navigate this entire process, and we have been seeing a good number of requests for these types of missions for several weeks now.