Central Louisiana News

U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy and Sheldon Whitehouse have introduced the Manifest Modernization Act, aimed at increasing transparency of shipments crossing U.S. borders in order to combat drug trafficking and the movement of illegal goods. Under current law, only ocean vessels are required to publicly disclose manifest information, but this bill would extend the requirement to aircraft, trucks, and rail.

Dr. Cassidy emphasizes the need for transparency on every shipment entering the U.S., stating, "The law is falling short of a goal Congress set decades ago. This fix is overdue and urgent." Senator Whitehouse adds that "drug traffickers, kleptocrats, and human rights abusers rely on transparency gaps in trade data to move illicit products and hide their ill-gotten gains." The bill aims to shed light on opaque air and vehicle imports, allowing law enforcement to take down bad actors and protect American consumers and companies from unsafe or counterfeit goods.

Currently, ocean vessels are required to disclose manifest information to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), including details such as the shipper's name and address, cargo description, number of packages, and more. This information has been instrumental in various investigations, uncovering schemes like Russia sanctions evasion, forced labor in supply chains, and drug smuggling.

However, with nearly half of imports now coming by air or land, it is crucial to expand disclosure requirements. In 1996, Congress passed legislation to include aircraft manifests in public disclosure, but a drafting error in a later bill prevented this requirement from being applied. Furthermore, vehicle manifests have never been required to disclose information.

The Manifest Modernization Act seeks to rectify this situation by ensuring that aircraft and vehicle manifests are publicly disclosed. To protect privacy, the bill also mandates that personally identifiable information, such as Social Security numbers and end consumer names, be redacted before public disclosure.

Several organizations and businesses have expressed their support for the Manifest Modernization Act, including ImportGenius, S&P Global, Transparency International U.S., Greenpeace USA, Oxfam America, and many others.

By increasing transparency in shipments entering the U.S., the Manifest Modernization Act aims to close the gaps that allow illegal goods and drugs to flow into the country. This legislation is crucial in the ongoing fight against drug trafficking and the protection of American consumers and businesses.

To learn more, click on this link: https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cassidy-whitehouse-introduce-bill-to-increase-transparency-of-shipment-entering-us