SUBJECT: Vessels Arriving in the Area Port of New Orleans for Bunkering/Stores and Departing Within 24 Hours
A vessel arriving for the purpose of taking on bunkers or stores and which shall depart within 24 hours, without having conducted any other customs transactions, is exempt from formal entry requirements (19 U.S. Code § 1441 (5)).
Although the vessel is not required to make entry, the master of the vessel must immediately report the vessel’s arrival to the CBP Operations Desk and a CBP 3171 must be submitted prior to arrival (19 C.F.R. 4.2 (c), 439 (0). Annotate on the top of the 3171 that the vessel is only taking on bunkers or stores and will be in port less than 24 hours.
This exemption from Formal Entry requirements only alleviates the requirement to complete Formal Entry and Clearance. This exemption does not alleviate the carrier of any cargo pre-arrival automated manifesting requirements, passenger/crew pre-arrival automated manifesting requirements, agriculture pre-arrival ports of call list requests or crew, conveyance or cargo enforcement activity by CBP.
Any questions regarding this notice may be directed to the supervisor or port director for the ports below.
Supervisor/Port Director Phone Numbers:
- New Orleans, LA (504) 670-2052
- Gramercy, LA (225) 869-3765 x 105
- Baton Rouge, LA (225) 389-0261 x 111
