Wednesday, 04 February 2009 09:26

Issue: Congress has been very forceful in urging Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to improve screening of containerized cargo entering the United States. As a result, CBP has issued a proposed rule (USCBP-2007-0077) requiring vessels transporting containers to the U.S. from foreign ports to provide extensive information on the container and its cargo.

Status: These would not be issues for the OMSA membership, except that under current laws, offshore facilities that are not attached to the seabed or engaged in exploration, development, or production are considered foreign locations. These include work barges, drilling rigs and ships when they are not working and ROV or dive support vessels. As has happened for passenger and cargo reporting, it is possible that CBP could require information of containers leaving these offshore facilities. Further confusing the issue, CBP definitions of containers could include many of the shipping containers, tool boxes and even grocery boxes used offshore.

OMSA and IADC coordinated comments to the docket arguing that the collection of significant information on containers returning to the U.S. from offshore locations is not needed. The proposed regulation and industry comments can be viewed at www.regulations.gov, docket number USCBP-2007-0077. OMSA will continue to monitor this issue and address concerns as they arise.