
The Multi-Purpose Role of the U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule
By Mike Smiszek, Senior Trade Advisor, Braumiller Consulting Group
When goods are imported into the United States, the importer-of-record (IOR) must, with reasonable care, file an entry (CBP Form 3461) and entry summary (CBP Form 7501), or the electronic equivalents, with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). These documents are the IOR’s preliminary and final declarations about the nature and circumstances of the import transaction, and they tell the story of the transaction through more than forty data elements.