(a) Importer Security Filing Importer. For purposes of this part, Importer Security Filing (ISF) Importer means the party causing goods to arrive within the limits of a port in the United States by vessel. For shipments other than foreign cargo remaining on board (FROB), the ISF Importer will be the goods' owner, purchaser, consignee, or agent such as a licensed customs broker. For immediate exportation (IE) and transportation and exportation (T&E) in-bond shipments, and goods to be delivered to a Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ), the ISF Importer may also be the party filing the IE, T&E, or FTZ documentation. For FROB cargo, the ISF Importer will be the carrier or the non-vessel operating common carrier.

(b) Importation. For purposes of this part, “importation” means the point at which cargo arrives within the limits of a port in the United States.

(c) Bulk cargo. For purposes of this part, “bulk cargo” is defined as homogeneous cargo that is stowed loose in the hold and is not enclosed in any container such as a box, bale, bag, cask, or the like. Such cargo is also described as bulk freight. Specifically, bulk cargo is composed of either:

(1) Free flowing articles such as oil, grain, coal, ore, and the like, which can be pumped or run through a chute or handled by dumping; or

(2) Articles that require mechanical handling such as bricks, pig iron, lumber, steel beams, and the like.

(d) Break bulk cargo. For purposes of this part, “break bulk cargo” is defined as cargo that is not containerized, but which is otherwise packaged or bundled.

[CBP Dec. 08-46, 73 FR 71782, Nov. 25, 2008, as amended by USCBP-2016-0040, 83 FR 15740, Apr. 12, 2018]