Line Release is an automated system designed to release and tract repetitive shipments. It is a method of entry or immediate delivery extended to importers of merchandise which CBP deems to be repetitive and high volume. Line Release may be used only at locations approved by CBP for handling Line Release. At certain high-risk locations along the land borders of the United States (the locations to be published in the Federal Register), which are approved by CBP for handling Line Release, the use of Line Release for particular shipments may be denied by CBP unless the imported merchandise is transported by carriers that participate in a CBP-approved industry partnership program.

In order to obtain approval for processing import transactions through Line Release, a broker or importer filing its own entries (entry filer) must submit an application to the port director, signed by the entry filer, in a format described as a Line Release Data Loading Sheet. The application must be accompanied by a representative sample of an actual commercial invoice for the products sought to be processed under Line Release. The Line Release Data Loading Sheet must contain the following information with each information element appearing on a separate line.

(a) Port where application is being made.

(b) Initiating Company Information: name, address, city, state, contact person, phone number of contact person, and signature.

(c) Listing of all ports in which the initiating company has filed a similar application for Line Release.

(d) Country of origin codes (ISO codes from Annex B of HTSUS) for the merchandise.

(e) Shipper or manufacturer information: Name, address, city, province/state, country, postal code, indication by noting “M” or “S” whether this information relates to a manufacturer (M) or a shipper (S), and manufacturer identification number of the shipper or manufacturer.

(f) Importer information (if importer is different than filer): Name, address, city, state and country, zip code, importer number, bond number, and surety code.

(g) Entry filer information: Name, importer number, filer code, bond number, and surety code.

(h) Product information: Product description, manifest unit of measure, HTSUS number described to sub-heading level for particular product or range of HTSUS numbers at sub-heading levels for multiple products for which Line Release is sought.

(i) Election of whether the Line Release transaction is to be considered an entry or an immediate delivery.

(a) Port review. The port director shall review each Line Release application to determine whether the shipments qualify for Line Release processing. The port director may contact the applicant for further information, if necessary. An application that fails to elect whether the Line Release transaction is to be considered an entry or an immediate delivery will be returned to the applicant. If all required information is submitted, the application will be forwarded to Headquarters for final processing.

(b) Assignment of C-4 Codes. A C-4 Code (Common Commodity Classification Code), which is a unique code identifying the shipper or manufacturer, importer, entry filer, and the product for each Line Release shipment, shall be assigned by Headquarters to each application approved for Line Release. Headquarters shall annotate each approved application with a C-4 Code and return the application to the port director who shall return the approved application to the entry filer.

(c) Denial of Line Release application. If the port director is considering the denial of a Line Release application, consideration shall be given to whether an application by the same filer for the same transaction has been approved at another port. If there is not an approved application at another port and the port director determines that the application shall be denied, the application shall be noted denied and returned to the entry filer without a C-4 Code annotation by the port director. If an application has been approved at another port, but the port director still questions whether the application should be approved at his port, the port director shall forward the application to the Assistant Commissioner, Office of Information Management. The Office of Information and Technology will review the application and will notify the port director of the final determination.

After an application for Line Release has received final approval, filers must provide the port director, in writing, with a range of entry numbers for use in the system so that an entry number can be assigned automatically to each Line Release transaction. For the purposes of this subpart, “entry number”, when the release is an immediate delivery, merely refers to the Line Release transaction number; this number does not become the actual entry number until an entry for the merchandise released under the immediate delivery procedure is filed. A separate range must be provided for each Line Release site at the port. These entry numbers shall be used for assignment within the Line Release system. Entry filers shall not assign these numbers to other entry transactions.

(a) Printing of C-4 Code. Upon receipt of an approved Line Release application, the entry filer, in accordance with instructions from the port director, shall preprint invoices with the C-4 Code in bar code and alpha-numeric format or print labels with the necessary information. Bar codes shall be printed in accordance with the specifications stated in Customs Publication 561 (Line Release Overview). Labels or preprinted invoices also shall state the name of the shipper or manufacturer of the product and the name of the importer of record, if other than the entry filer, above the bar code and the name of the entry filer and a product description below the bar code.

(b) Multiple commodity processing. Multiple commodity processing allows more than one product to be released under one entry number. The shipper/manufacturer, importer of record and the entry filer must be the same. The product description is the only variable allowed. The commodities should be listed on one invoice with C-4 Code labels for each commodity attached to the invoice.

(c) Distribution of labels. If labels are used, the labels shall be affixed to the invoices in accordance with instructions from the port director. The entry filer may either affix the labels or distribute the labels to the shippers/manufacturers and instruct them in the use and placement of the labels.

(a) Presentation of invoice. When merchandise that has been approved for Line Release is imported at a Line Release site, the carrier, importer or filer shall present Customs with an invoice with the bar code or codes printed or affixed and, according to the method of transportation, the appropriate manifest document.

(b) Verification of data. If after scanning the bar code at the Line Release site, the Customs officer verifies the data on the bar code with the information on the invoice, he will key the quantity on the invoice and an entry number will be automatically assigned to the transaction. If there are any differences between the system data and the invoice and bar code, including any differences in entry filer, the Customs officer shall order an examination.

(c) Other agency documentation. If the Line Release shipment requires other agency documentation, the Customs officer at the Line Release site will be alerted to that requirement electronically when he verifies the data on the bar code with the information on the invoice. If the required form is presented to the officer with the documentation package, the shipment may be released.

(a) General. Merchandise imported under Line Release generally may be released without further CBP processing. CBP, however, may choose to inspect any Line Release shipment. Examinations may be either specifically ordered by the CBP officer or random.

(b) Voiding of Line Release transaction. CBP may void a Line Release transaction for the following reasons: Because of an examination, because a carrier transporting the Line Release merchandise is not a participant in a CBP-approved industry partnership program, or because a driver or conveyance is not authorized in accordance with the LBCIP. If this occurs, CBP will return the invoice to the carrier, and the entry filer, in order to enter merchandise, must prepare and submit either a CF 3461 or 3461 Alternate, or its electronic equivalent.

(a) General. When the Customs officer at the Line Release site determines that a shipment is ready for release, release data, consisting of the entry number, the date and time of release, the inspector's badge number, the quantity and unit of measure, and the C-4 Code will be printed on the invoice and the manifest document and, when other agency documentation is presented, may be printed on that documentation. The invoice shall be returned to the entry filer and the manifest document shall be retained by Customs.

(b) Notification to non-ABI participants. The returned invoice with the release data shall be the release notification to non-ABI participants.

(c) Notification to ABI participants. If the Line Release entry filer is an operational ABI participant, the filer shall receive an electronic notification of the release consisting of the importer of record number, the port of entry, the filer code, the entry number, the date and time of release, the manufacturer code, the quantity and unit of measure, the release site, the HTSUS number(s), the C-4 Code and the country or countries of origin.

(a) By Customs. A port director may temporarily or permanently delete an entry filer's C-4 Code without providing the participant with any justification and without prior notification in cases of willfulness or when public health, interest, or safety so requires, thereby revoking the filer's use of Line Release.

(b) By entry filer. Entry filers may delete C-4 Codes from Line Release by notifying the port director in writing on a Deletion Data Loading Sheet. Such notification shall state the C-4 Code which is to be deleted, the port where the C-4 Code is to be deleted and the reason for the requested deletion. A copy of the originally approved Data Loading Sheet must be submitted with the Deletion Data Loading Sheet. If only a temporary deletion is desired, the filer shall state the requested effective date for the deletion and the date the C-4 Code is requested to be returned to Line Release processing.

The applicant shall notify the port director of any changes in names, importer or filer numbers or bond information on a Line Release Data Loading Sheet as soon as possible. Notification shall be accomplished by the submission of a copy of the original loading sheet with a Correction Data Loading Sheet.

An applicant who has already received a C-4 Code and wishes to change the election chosen on his Line Release application as to whether the release should be considered an entry or an immediate delivery must submit a letter requesting such change to the port director where the C-4 Code is used. This letter must include the C-4 Code to be changed and the date the change is to be effective. If the requested change is for a temporary time period, the letter shall include the date the releases are to return to the release type originally requested. Applications that fail to state the effective dates of the changes requested will be returned to the applicant.

(a) Port-wide processing. If a C-4 Code has been approved by the port director, the C-4 Code may be used at any Line Release site at the port.

(b) Multiple port processing. In order for a C-4 Code approved at one port to be used at another port, the entry filer must submit an application to the port director of the other port. While uniform criteria shall be applied to approving similar shipments for Line Release at all ports, a port director may exercise his discretion to deny Line Release at his port even though a similar shipment may be approved at another port.