USA – Importers of Record: preliminary alert on possible local presence and asset requirements

According to an alert from the Whalesbook portal, the United States may have established new rules for Importers of Record, requiring local presence and proof of assets. The measure would aim to close customs loopholes that allow importers without real ties to operate under lax conditions. However, the source is not official: Whalesbook is neither a government agency nor a recognized entity in international trade. To date, neither CBP nor USTR has published similar regulations, and no legal instrument supporting the information has been found.

The Importers of Record figure is key in international trade: it is the entity legally and financially responsible for customs compliance in the destination country. In recent years, CBP has intensified the verification of IOR financial capacity, especially in sensitive sectors such as electronics, textiles, and steel. A formal requirement for local presence and minimum assets would be a significant additional step, aligned with global trends of stricter customs control, but it has not been formally implemented.