hs change

CSMS #68448732 · Updated Guidance #3: Implementation of Jones Act Waiver issued to the Department of War, dated March 17, 2026

📌 ETDETA brief — importer impact summary (educational)

Brief takeaway: According to this CBP notice, an existing Jones Act waiver for the Department of War has been extended for 90 days, allowing certain covered cargo to move on foreign-flag vessels under specific conditions and reporting steps.

What changed: The notice states that DHS approved a 90-day extension of the March 17, 2026 waiver, commencing May 18, 2026, and that covered product must be loaded onboard the relevant vessel before 11:59 pm EDT on Sunday, August 16, 2026. The notice also says CBP issued an updated list of potentially covered products as of April 24, 2026, and added a new data element — a PDF copy of CBP Form 1302 — to the initial request.

Who's affected: The notice names transportation of covered commodities on foreign-flag vessels under the Department of War waiver. Specific HTS chapters/codes are not listed in this text but are referenced in an attached product list; importers should consult that attachment for the actual commodities and codes cited.

What to review:
- Review whether your commodity appears on CBP's updated April 24, 2026 covered-products list.
- Confirm the loading deadline and waiver window may be relevant to your shipment's timing.
- Check the notification requirements for emailing [email protected], including vessel name/IMO/flag, commodity and HTS, carrier, ports/dates, and the PDF of CBP Form 1302.
- Confirm applicability and reporting steps with your licensed customs broker.

This is general information, not legal advice and not a compliance determination — confirm specifics with a licensed customs broker or trade counsel.

Official notice

Updated Guidance #3: Implementation of Jones Act Waiver issued to the Department of War, dated March 17, 2026 U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is providing updated guidance to CSMS #68096516, CSMS #68180454, and CSMS #68370692. This guidance serves as notice that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has approved an extension of the waiver, dated March 17, 2026, at the request of the Department of War (DOW). The waiver will be extended for a period of 90-days commencing on May 18, 2026 at 12 a.m. Thus, CBP has determined that to be compliant with the extended waiver, any covered product must be loaded onboard the relevant vessel before the deadline expires at 11:59 pm Eastern Daylight Time on Sunday, August 16, 2026. With notice of this extension, CBP is also providing an updated list of potentially covered products (attached) as of April 24, 2026. CBP is adding an additional data element to initial request to [email protected] which is a Pdf copy of the CBP Form 1302. Therefore, any member of the trade community who intends to conduct transportation of commodities listed in the attachment on a foreign-flag vessel, authorized by and within the parameters of the March 17, 2026 waiver, notify CBP at [email protected] with the following information of any such transportation: Vessel name (including IMO number and flag) Commodity and relevant Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) Code Carrier Ports and dates of departure and arrival (include CBP port code) Pdf copy o

Source: CBP CSMS · Read the official notice ↗

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Related updates

This update is a general educational summary based on public CBP CSMS / Federal Register information. It is not legal advice, customs broker advice, a final classification, duty determination, entry instruction, or compliance determination. Importers should confirm applicability, effective dates, HTSUS/Chapter 99 reporting, rates, refunds, PSC procedures, and filing instructions with their licensed customs broker, trade counsel, and/or CBP.