January 6, 2021
CBP Alerts Customs Brokers to New Aluminum Import Licensing Requirement
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has notified customs brokers and the trade community that most imports of aluminum products will require an aluminum import license for each entry starting January 25, 2021.
The new licensing system, which is available on the Commerce Department website, will open for pre-registration on January 4. Customs brokers, importers, and other license applicants will need to register for an account to create a license.
The list of aluminum products subject to the new licensing requirement is available here. The aluminum import license number obtained from Commerce for each shipment, as well as the License Type Code 28, must be reported on the corresponding entry summary or electronic equivalent in ACE.
CBP recommended the Trade “to plan accordingly and obtain any licenses needed for entry in advance from the Commerce website.”
The new aluminum license system will use the same platform as the steel licensing system (SIMA), so users with an existing steel license account do not need to create new accounts.