US Customs clarifies who is responsible for goods passing through the country

The US Census Bureau wants to clarify rules for goods that enter the US from one foreign country and then leave for another. This means it will be clearer who is responsible for filing export paperwork when goods are stored in the US before being re-exported.

For years, it has been unclear who is the 'US Principal Party in Interest' for goods that just pass through the country. This ambiguity created confusion about who was legally responsible for export filings. The proposed changes aim to make that responsibility explicit, especially for customs brokers and companies using foreign trade zones.