Form 19

Before an ocean freight container arrives to its destination in the US, an agent from US Customs and Boarder Protection will access the cargo, enforce fees and prevent cargo from entering if it violates a rule. Sometimes a shipper might not agree with the Customs decisions relating to their imported cargo. Some examples of disagreement might deal with the value of the cargo, duty charges or having cargo being excluded from entering the US. Therefore in any of these scenarios, an importer can file Form 19 after the liquidation process. This form is a formal protest made against a US Customs and Border Protection decision.
Form 19 must be filed within 180 days of the initial decision and it must be made at the port of protest. The importer or an agent can sign the form. If US Customs agrees with the importer, then a refund of any previously collected money will be issued. Form 19 itself is not a terribly long form, compared to other international freight shipping documents. Essentially the basic requirements of Form 19 includes the contact details of the importer, the dates of the initial import, a description of the cargo in question and the nature of the objection of the freight. After US Customs receives the form, they will review all of the contents.
If an importer would like to file a protest, but has questions about Form 19, then they should speak to a trusted logistics provider who can answer questions about their freight shipment.