by M. Sigmund Shapiro
November 23, 2004
Every few years, Customs deems it necessary to modernize. It
usually does so by amending some of the forms necessary to enter
imported merchandise. The latest effort is form 7501 – the primary
document for Customs entry. A draft of this form has been sent out
for scrutiny by those concerned.
It must be borne in mind that 100 percent of the information on
the form has already been submitted to Customs electronically.
Approximately 75% of the time no entry documents are scrutinized by
Customs since criteria for entry are reviewed electronically. Even
if paper review is desired, the 7501 is not one of them. The form is
retained by the importer and broker unless or until Customs demands
to see it, usually as part of a post- entry review, audit or
investigation.
The newest draft looks just like its predecessors; the same
information has been reformatted to allow for a larger font to
accommodate the Americans with Disabilities Act. As a result, there
is less space on the form for classification and value information
and thus requires a second page for completion in the majority of
cases.
