Restriction of Pallets as a Package type for Export Manifest

To facilitate the smooth processing of your shipping instructions and movement of your cargo, we are sending you a reminder that pallets are not permissible as a formal shipping unit.

In 1984 U.S. Customs and Border Protection imposed restrictions on the acceptance of pallets as a package type. Regulations prescribe that the lowest level of the measurement should be used. 19 CFR section 4.7a(c)(4)(v) of the US Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) regulations states: “(v) The numbers and quantities from the carrier's ocean bills of lading, either master or house, as applicable (this means that the carrier must transmit the quantity of the lowest external packaging unit; containers and pallets are not acceptable manifested quantities; for example, a container containing 10 pallets with 200 cartons should be manifested as 200 cartons).”

For your reference, please review acceptable unit types listed on the US Customs and Border Protection website.

We request that all future shipping instructions are submitted via your preferred electronic channel (Maersk.com, INTTRA or EDI) with the lowest external package type as the primary packaging. Failure to meet this requirement could lead to delayed cargo loading.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to your local sales or customer experience representative. You will find contact details of our local offices on Maersk.com.