Importer Security Filing Template
The importer security filing, usually called ISF or 10+2, is a US requirement for ocean cargo. Ten data elements must be filed with customs before the container is loaded at the foreign port. Not before it arrives, but before it is loaded. That is why the information has to be gathered while the shipment is still being prepared.
19 CFR 149 — to be filed no later than 24 hours before lading
| Line | Description | 7 Country of Origin | 8 HTSUS Number | Container No. | Quantity | Unit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The undersigned certifies that the information provided above is accurate and complete to the best of their knowledge, and acknowledges that failure to file complete and accurate ISF data may result in liquidated damages and cargo holds.
Parties, ports, container and line items carry across every document.
The deadline is loading, not arrival
The filing is due no later than 24 hours before the cargo is loaded onto the vessel bound for the United States. Miss it and the carrier can be instructed not to load. Penalties for late or inaccurate filings are substantial per shipment. Because the deadline sits at origin, the exporter usually has to supply the data even though the obligation is the importer's.
What the ten elements are for
Seller, buyer, importer of record, consignee, manufacturer, ship-to party, country of origin, tariff number, container stuffing location and consolidator. The list is aimed at knowing who touched the cargo and where, rather than at valuing it. That is why it asks for the stuffing location. It appears on no other document in the set.
It is separate from the customs entry
ISF is a security filing made before loading. The customs entry is a commercial declaration made on arrival. They are filed at different times, often by different parties, and being right on one does not fix the other. Treating the ISF as something the broker will handle at destination is the common and expensive mistake.
Prefer to fill it in on screen? Use the importer security filing generator →
Not sure what goes in a box? How to fill out a importer security filing, field by field →
Exporters
Make the invoice, packing list and certificate of origin for a shipment in one go, without typing the consignee's address four times.
Freight forwarders
Turn a client's spreadsheet into a clean set of documents that a customs broker will accept.
Customs brokers
Rebuild a missing or unusable document from the details you already have.
One shipment in, every document out
| FreightStow | Typical alternative | |
|---|---|---|
| Enter the details once for every document | Yes | Retype for each document |
| Document types | 33 | Varies |
| Statutory forms (CMR, ISF, USMCA origin) | Included | Often missing |
| Add, rename or remove line-item columns | Yes | Fixed templates |
| Download formats | PDF, Excel, Word | PDF only |
| Try it without an account | Yes | Usually not |
The right-hand column describes the general pattern in this category, not one named vendor. Features and plans change — check any provider’s current terms before deciding.
Commercial documents · 12
- Packing List — DetailedFull itemised packing list with HS codes, marks and numbers, package types and per-item dimensions.
- Packing List — SimpleMinimal packing list: what is in the shipment, how many packages, and what it weighs. No HS codes or dimensions.
- Packing List — ContainerPacking list broken down by container, for FCL shipments where each line must be traced to a container and seal.
- Packing List — ConsolidatedOne packing list covering several orders or invoices consolidated into a single shipment.
- Commercial InvoiceThe primary customs valuation document: what was sold, to whom, on what terms, and for how much.
- Proforma InvoiceA binding quotation in invoice form, issued before shipment so the buyer can open a letter of credit or arrange an import licence.
- Tax InvoiceInvoice showing the tax charged on a supply, in the form required for the buyer to reclaim input tax.
- Credit NoteCancels or reduces a previously issued invoice, for returns, short shipments or agreed price adjustments.
- Purchase OrderThe buyer's formal instruction to supply goods on stated terms, prices and delivery dates.
- QuotationA priced offer to supply, stating validity, lead time and the Incoterms the price is quoted on.
- Request for QuotationInvites a supplier to price a specified list of goods against stated delivery terms and a response deadline.
- Sales ConfirmationThe seller's acceptance of an order, confirming goods, price, terms and shipment schedule back to the buyer.
Declarations & instructions · 10
- Non Asbestos DeclarationCertifies that the goods contain no asbestos in any form — required by Australia, Saudi Arabia and other markets that ban asbestos outright.
- New and Unused DeclarationCertifies that the goods are new and have never been used — required where the destination restricts imports of second-hand goods.
- Packing DeclarationDeclares the timber packaging and container cleanliness of a consignment — required for Australian and New Zealand biosecurity clearance.
- DeclarationA blank declaration on letterhead, for the one-off statements a buyer, bank or customs authority asks for that have no standard form.
- Declaration of OriginA self-certified origin statement made by the exporter, used where a full chamber-stamped certificate of origin is not required.
- Verified Gross Mass DeclarationThe SOLAS VGM certificate. No container may be loaded to a vessel without a signed verified gross mass from the shipper.
- Shipper's Letter of InstructionThe exporter's instructions to their freight forwarder, including the authority to act as agent for customs purposes.
- Shipping InstructionTells the carrier exactly how the bill of lading should read: parties, routing, cargo description and freight terms.
- Forwarding InstructionBooks a consignment with a freight forwarder: collection details, routing, cargo particulars and who pays which charges.
- Sales ContractThe agreement itself: goods, price, delivery terms, payment and the clauses both parties sign against.
Statutory & customs forms · 11
- CMR — Consignment Note (Sender)The sender's copy of the international road consignment note, retained as proof of what was handed to the carrier.
- CMR — Consignment Note (Carrier)The carrier's copy of the road consignment note, evidencing the contract of carriage.
- CMR — Consignment Note (Consignee)The consignee's copy of the road consignment note, travelling with the goods and signed on delivery.
- Bill of LadingThe carrier's receipt for the goods, evidence of the contract of carriage, and a document of title the consignee must surrender to collect the cargo.
- Certificate of OriginCertifies where goods were produced. Usually stamped by a chamber of commerce and required to claim tariff treatment or satisfy a letter of credit.
- Certification of Origin (USMCA/CUSMA/T-MEC)The free-trade certification for US–Mexico–Canada shipments. Has no prescribed form, but must carry all nine required data elements.
- Importer Security FilingThe ten data elements a US importer must file with CBP at least 24 hours before cargo is laden aboard a vessel bound for the United States.
- Phytosanitary CertificateCertifies that a consignment of plants or plant products meets the importing country's phytosanitary requirements.
- Form 6 — Transboundary Movement DocumentMovement document accompanying a transboundary shipment of hazardous waste, tracking it from exporter to disposal facility.
- Form 9 — Transboundary Movement DocumentMovement document for transboundary shipments of hazardous recyclable material, tracking custody through to the recovery facility.
- Bill of ExchangeAn unconditional written order requiring the drawee to pay a fixed sum on demand or at a stated future date — the instrument behind documentary collections.
+Who is responsible for filing the ISF?
The importer of record, though it is usually filed by a customs broker or forwarder on their behalf. Responsibility for accuracy and timeliness remains with the importer regardless of who transmits it.
+What does 10+2 mean?
Ten data elements from the importer, plus two from the carrier: the vessel stow plan and container status messages. The name refers to the split of responsibility.
+Does ISF apply to air freight?
No. It applies to ocean cargo bound for the United States. Air shipments are covered by separate advance filing requirements.
+What happens if the ISF is late?
Customs may issue significant penalties per filing, and cargo can be denied loading or held for examination on arrival. Repeated failures attract closer scrutiny of subsequent shipments.
Try it with a real shipment.
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