Important Instructions to Ensure Accurate Commodity Description for Cross-Border Shipments
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), require that all cross-border shipments (to the U.S. and Canada) include complete, accurate and detailed commodity descriptions. Shipments to and from Mexico are regulated under Carta Porte requirements.
To comply with the CBP and CBSA requirements, please ensure the following for commodity descriptions on all cross-border shipments to the U.S. and Canada:
- Shipping Instructions: In plain language and detailed enough to allow the CBP and CBSA to easily identify the specific characteristics of the commodity
- Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) transmission (the N10 Segment of the EDI): The commodity description field should only contain a clear and concise description, excluding unnecessary details such as packing type or carrier disclaimer
For a comprehensive list of acceptable cargo descriptions, please refer to the CBP and CBSA websites:
- CBP: Unacceptable vs. Acceptable Cargo Descriptions (CBP accepts Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) numbers up to the 6-digit level for commodity classification)
- CBSA: Detailed commodity descriptions (commercial reporting requirements)
Monetary penalties for unacceptable descriptions or missing data may be issued, including piece count and seal information. Penalties for missing data will be passed on to the responsible party.
If you have questions, please contact your BNSF marketing representative or BNSF Customer Support via Message Us (registration and login required) or call 1-888-428-2673 (when prompted, say “Mexico” or “Canada”).
Your business is important to us. Thank you for choosing BNSF Railway as your transportation service provider.