Trusted-Trader Programs & Customs Systems
Advance Manifest / 24-Hour Rule
Also known as: 24-Hour Rule, Advance Manifest
The advance manifest requirement, often called the twenty-four-hour rule for ocean cargo, obliges carriers to transmit detailed cargo information to the destination customs authority a set time before the goods are loaded onto the vessel at the foreign port. This early data lets authorities assess security risk and issue do-not-load instructions for suspect shipments before they ever reach the ship. Comparable advance-data rules apply to air, rail, and truck cargo with their own timelines, and compliance requires shippers to finalize accurate shipment details earlier in the process than traditional practice demanded.
Cargo data must be with CBP before the goods are loaded overseas, not before they arrive. Importers who think of documentation as a destination activity discover this when a container is refused loading at origin — by which point the vessel has sailed.
Where it matters for compliance
- Ocean cargo data is due 24 hours before lading at the foreign port.
- A do-not-load message is issued at origin, and the remedy is at origin too.
Related terms
Reviewed by a licensed customs broker. Definitions are general information, not legal or customs advice for a particular shipment. Duty rates, tariff programs and agency requirements change frequently.