CSMS 59863856·Operational·March 19, 2024·View on csms.cbp.gov ↗

USDA Agricultural Marketing Service Organic Filing Requirements – Mandatory March 19, 2024

Plain-English explanation

CSMS 59863856 is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Cargo Systems Messaging Service bulletin (operational), published on March 19, 2024. It carries the official CBP guidance brokers and importers must follow for the topic — "USDA Agricultural Marketing Service Organic Filing Requirements – Mandatory March 19, 2024". CSMS messages are the operational layer between Commerce determinations and at-the-border collections: when Commerce publishes a new rate, scope ruling, or instruction, CBP turns it into a CSMS that ACE/ACS systems and brokers act on.

Message body

Full text as published by U.S. Customs and Border Protection

CSMS # 59863856 - USDA Agricultural Marketing Service Organic Filing Requirements – Mandatory March 19, 2024 U.S. Customs and Border Protection sent this bulletin at 03/19/2024 02:20 PM EDT Cargo Systems Messaging Service CSMS # 59863856 - USDA Agricultural Marketing Service Organic Filing Requirements – Mandatory March 19, 2024 The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) National Organic Program (NOP) – Strengthening Organic Enforcement regulations become mandatory effective March 19, 2024 . USDA published the Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE) final rule on January 19, 2023. The rule protects organic integrity and bolsters farmer and consumer confidence in the USDA organic seal by supporting strong organic control systems, improving farm to market traceability, increasing import oversight authority, and providing robust enforcement of the organic regulations. One key requirement in SOE is the use of electronic NOP Import Certificates for organic agricultural products imported into the U.S. This will improve the oversight and traceability of imported organic products. Beginning March 19, 2024, each shipment of organic agricultural products imported into the United States must be associated with an NOP Import Certificate (submitted as part of the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) entry filing) issued by an accredited certifying agent. Importers of certified organic shipments must be certified as well under this new rule. Certified exporters/final handlers who wish to export certified organic products to the United States must request an NOP Import Certificate from their accredited certifier. Both USDA-accredited certifiers and certifiers recognized under one of the NOP’s equivalence or recognition arrangements may issue the NOP Import Certificate on behalf of their certified clients. Import certificates may be issued for single or multiple shipments or a specific time frame, depending on the certifiers’ oversight systems. One NOP Import Certificate is issued per commodity/product or Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) code. Upon approval of the request for an import certificate, accredited certifiers generate the NOP Import Certificate in the USDA’s Organic Integrity Database (INTEGRITY) and provide it to the requesting exporter/final handler. The exporter/final handler provides the electronic NOP import certificate to the U.S. importer for entry into ACE. For more information on the rule please see: https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/strengthening-organic-enforcement . Update your subscriptions, modify your password or e-mail address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page . You will need to use your e-mail address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please contact subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com . This service is provided to you at no charge by U.S. Customs and Border Protection . Privacy Policy | GovDelivery is providing this information on behalf of U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and may not use the information for any other purposes. Powered by Privacy Policy | Cookie Statement | Help

Frequently asked questions

What is CSMS 59863856?

CSMS 59863856 is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Cargo Systems Messaging Service bulletin titled "USDA Agricultural Marketing Service Organic Filing Requirements – Mandatory March 19, 2024". CSMS bulletins are the operational instructions CBP issues to brokers, importers, and ACE filers covering rate changes, system updates, scope guidance, and other day-to-day customs-operations changes.

When was CSMS 59863856 published?

CBP published CSMS 59863856 on March 19, 2024. The bulletin's instructions are typically operative as of the publication date unless the body specifies a different effective date.

Is the CBP CSMS the legally binding instruction?

Yes — for at-the-border filing and entry collection. CSMS messages translate Commerce's Federal Register determinations into operational CBP instructions that ACE/ACS systems and brokers execute. The Federal Register notice is the underlying legal authority; the CSMS is the operational implementation. Both should be read together when reconciling a rate or scope change.

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