U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is notifying Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) partners that, pursuant to Executive Order 14411, Strengthening Customs Enforcement, Importers of Record (IORs) and licensed customs brokers acting on their behalf are responsible for ensuring information submitted on CBP Form 5106, Importer Identity Form, is accurate, complete, and kept current.
CBP’s increased focus on importer identity verification underscores the importance of maintaining accurate information for all parties involved in import transactions. Importers should review their Form 5106 records and promptly update any changes to company names, addresses, points of contact, IRS Employer Identification Numbers (EINs), Tax Identification Numbers (TINs), or U.S. Customs Assigned Numbers (USCANs).
Importers should also verify the accuracy of Ultimate U.S. Buyer information reported to CBP. This includes confirming that the legal name, address, contact, and associated EIN/TIN for the U.S. buyer match current records. Discrepancies between CBP and IRS records, inactive or voided tax identification numbers, corporate restructurings, acquisitions, or business name changes can create issues during CBP validation processes.
Failure to maintain accurate information may result in customs clearance delays, requests for additional documentation, rejected or voided Form 5106 records, delays in establishing or updating importer accounts, shipment holds, and potential late filing or compliance-related penalties.
As CBP continues to strengthen enforcement and importer validation requirements, importers are encouraged to review both Importer of Record and Ultimate U.S. Buyer information to ensure records remain current and compliant.
Verifying importer and U.S. buyer identification information now can help prevent unnecessary shipment delays, rejected filings, and other avoidable compliance issues.