CBP Form 1302: Inward Cargo Declaration for Vessel Arrivals

Key Points

• CBP Form 1302, Inward Cargo Declaration, is the vessel cargo manifest the master or authorized agent presents on arrival, listing every bill of lading aboard the vessel.
• The declaration is normally transmitted electronically through ACE ocean manifest; the paper CBP Form 1302 survives as the fallback and as the format CBP's vessel manifest regulations describe.
• The legal spine is 19 U.S.C. 1431 (manifest requirement and public disclosure), 19 CFR 4.7 (inward manifest contents and filing) and 19 CFR 4.7a (cargo declaration detail), plus the 24-hour advance manifest rule requiring cargo information before lading at the foreign port.
• Manifest problems, not entry problems, are what hold containers: vague cargo descriptions, missing or mismatched bill of lading numbers, and late amendments are the usual causes of holds and penalty exposure.
• Statuses and procedures described here are as of October 2026; confirm the current regulation text, ACE CATAIR requirements and any CSMS guidance before changing a filing practice.

On this page

1. What CBP Form 1302 is and where it comes from
2. At a glance
3. Who files CBP Form 1302 and when
4. How CBP Form 1302 is transmitted in ACE
5. What goes on the Inward Cargo Declaration
6. Common CBP Form 1302 errors and what they cost
7. How CBP Form 1302 relates to other CBP manifest and port forms
8. Frequently asked questions
9. What importers and brokers should do
10. Key references

CBP Form 1302, Inward Cargo Declaration, is the vessel cargo manifest that the master of an arriving vessel, or the vessel's authorized agent, files with CBP on arrival to account for every bill of lading of cargo aboard. It is the carrier-side document that tells CBP what is on the ship, as distinct from the importer-side entry documents that release and classify the goods. The links in this article go to the primary documents: the statute, the regulations and CBP's own form and program pages. Read the source.

At a glance

• Full name: CBP Form 1302, Inward Cargo Declaration.
• Who prepares or uses it: the vessel master or the vessel's authorized agent, with NVOCCs and other bill of lading issuers supplying the house-level detail.
• When in the lifecycle: cargo data before lading abroad under the 24-hour advance manifest rule, and the inward cargo declaration on arrival at the first U.S. port, before entry and release of the cargo.
• System or channel: ACE ocean manifest electronic transmission, with the paper CBP Form 1302 as the fallback when CBP permits or requires paper.
• Governing authority: 19 U.S.C. 1431; 19 CFR 4.7 and 19 CFR 4.7a.
• Companion documents: the vessel entrance statement is a separate form and is not CBP Form 1302; CBP Form 7509, Air Cargo Manifest, and CBP Form 7533 cover the air and land border modes.
• Related terms: CBP Form 7509, CBP Form 7533, CBP Form 3171, CBP Form 6043, CBP Form 368, CBP Form 300, CBP Form 3173, CBP Form 3495, CBP Form 4457, CBP Form 434.

What CBP Form 1302 is and where it comes from

CBP Form 1302, Inward Cargo Declaration, exists because 19 U.S.C. 1431 requires every vessel arriving in the United States to have a manifest, signed by the master, covering the cargo aboard. The regulations at 19 CFR 4.7 set out what the inward manifest consists of and how it is filed; 19 CFR 4.7a addresses the cargo declaration detail itself, including how cargo must be described. Section 1431 also makes the manifest a public record in the manner the statute provides, which is why cargo descriptions on a vessel manifest are commercially sensitive and why confidentiality treatment is handled through CBP rather than by leaving data off the declaration.

In practical terms, CBP Form 1302 is the inventory of the ship. Everything CBP does downstream, matching an entry to a bill of lading, placing or lifting a hold, authorizing movement in bond, reconciling what left the terminal, runs against the manifest record created by the Inward Cargo Declaration.

Who files CBP Form 1302 and when

CBP Form 1302 is the master's responsibility under the statute, though in commercial practice the vessel's agent prepares and transmits it, and the carrier or NVOCC that issued each bill of lading supplies the underlying cargo detail. Timing has two layers. First, under the 24-hour advance manifest rule, cargo information must reach CBP before the cargo is laden aboard the vessel at the foreign port, so that CBP can target containers before they are loaded rather than after they arrive. Second, the inward cargo declaration is presented at arrival at the first U.S. port of call, as required by 19 CFR 4.7.

Importers rarely file CBP Form 1302 themselves, but they feel it immediately. If the shipper's booking description is thin, the manifest description is thin, and a hold follows that no entry filing can clear. Compliance managers who buy on carrier-arranged terms should still see the bill of lading data that will populate the Inward Cargo Declaration.

How CBP Form 1302 is transmitted in ACE

CBP Form 1302 is filed electronically through ACE ocean manifest in ordinary operations, and the printed form functions as the paper fallback for situations where electronic filing is not available or CBP directs paper presentation. Record layouts, data element names and conditional requirements for the electronic transmission live in the ACE CATAIR, not in the regulation, and they change; confirm the current layout in the CATAIR on CBP's Automated Systems pages and in current CSMS messages before adjusting an interface. Amendments and post-arrival corrections to the manifest are also made through the manifest system rather than through the entry filing, which is the single most common point of confusion for brokers who touch manifests only occasionally.

What goes on the Inward Cargo Declaration

CBP Form 1302 lists the vessel and voyage identifiers and then, line by line, each bill of lading: marks and numbers, number and kind of packages, a description of the goods, weight, and the ports of lading and discharge, in the manner 19 CFR 4.7a prescribes. The description standard is the part that matters. Generic entries such as "freight all kinds," "said to contain," or "general cargo" are the classic rejection and hold triggers because they tell CBP nothing usable for targeting. Containers moving empty, cargo remaining on board, and in-transit cargo each have their own treatment in the manifest; confirm the current handling in 19 CFR 4.7 and 4.7a rather than relying on a terminal's habit.

Common CBP Form 1302 errors and what they cost

Most CBP Form 1302 problems are data quality problems rather than legal disputes. The recurring ones:

• Vague cargo descriptions that do not meet the precision 19 CFR 4.7a contemplates, producing do-not-load messages or arrival holds.
• Bill of lading number mismatches between the manifest and the entry, so the release never matches the manifested quantity and the container sits.
• Quantity and weight discrepancies discovered at the terminal, which require a manifest amendment and may raise manifest discrepancy questions.
• Late house bill data from an NVOCC, which breaks the advance filing timeline even though the master's own data was ready.

Penalty exposure for manifest violations arises under the statutory manifest provisions; CBP applies its own mitigation practice, and the amounts and procedures should be confirmed with CBP or current guidance rather than assumed. The operational cost is usually larger and more certain: demurrage, per diem, missed appointments and expedited exam fees.

How CBP Form 1302 relates to other CBP manifest and port forms

CBP Form 1302 is the ocean member of a family of arrival and port documents, and knowing which one applies prevents wasted filings. CBP Form 7509, Air Cargo Manifest, is the carrier's declaration of cargo on an arriving aircraft, now filed electronically through ACE air manifest with the paper form as the fallback; it is not the general declaration. CBP Form 7533, Inward Cargo Manifest for Vessel Under Five Tons, Ferry, Train, Car, Vehicle, etc., is the arrival manifest for cargo arriving by truck, rail or small vessel at the land border, and it is not an in-bond entry.

Around the vessel call, CBP Form 3171, Application-Permit-Special License Unlading-Lading-Overtime Services, is the carrier or agent request for permission to unlade or lade and for CBP services outside regular hours, with reimbursable overtime attached; it is not a cargo manifest. Once cargo moves off the pier, CBP Form 6043, Delivery Ticket, records delivery of merchandise into a bonded warehouse or container freight station under CBP supervision and is the custody record the proprietor keeps; the warehouse's annual inventory reconciliation is CBP Form 300, Bonded Warehouse Proprietor's Submission. Payments made at the port are receipted on CBP Form 368, Collection Receipt, the proof of payment an importer keeps for a protest, refund request or audit.

Temporary importation work sits downstream of the manifest but often involves the same cargo: CBP Form 3173, Application for Extension of Bond for Temporary Importation, extends the one-year TIB period in one-year increments up to three years total, and CBP Form 3495, Application for Exportation of Articles Under Special Bond, is the notice filed before exporting TIB goods so CBP can supervise or waive supervision and cancel the bond. On the traveler side, CBP Form 4457, Certificate of Registration for Personal Effects Taken Abroad, registers serial-numbered personal items before departure so they return duty-free. And for origin claims, CBP Form 434, NAFTA Certificate of Origin, is retired: it was replaced on July 1, 2020 by the USMCA certification of origin, which has no prescribed form and may be any document carrying the nine required data elements.

Frequently asked questions

Is CBP Form 1302 the same as the vessel entrance form?

No. CBP Form 1302, Inward Cargo Declaration, declares the cargo aboard the vessel. The vessel entrance statement is a separate document about the vessel's formal entry at the port. A vessel call typically involves both, filed by the same agent, for different purposes.

Does CBP Form 1302 have to be filed on paper?

In normal operations CBP Form 1302 is transmitted electronically through ACE ocean manifest, and the paper form is the fallback. Confirm current electronic filing requirements and any permitted paper presentation in 19 CFR 4.7 and the ACE CATAIR before planning a paper filing.

Who is liable if the CBP Form 1302 data is wrong?

The manifest obligation under 19 U.S.C. 1431 runs to the master of the vessel, and the vessel agent acts for the master, but the party that issued the bill of lading is the practical source of the data on CBP Form 1302. Carriers and NVOCCs should fix responsibility for house bill accuracy in their contracts.

Can CBP Form 1302 be amended after arrival?

Yes, manifest amendments are made through the manifest system rather than through the entry. Amending CBP Form 1302 after arrival does not cure a late advance filing under the 24-hour advance manifest rule, so timing problems and accuracy problems are treated separately.

What importers and brokers should do

• Read 19 CFR 4.7 and 19 CFR 4.7a against your current manifest practice and confirm the cargo description standard your carriers and NVOCCs are actually meeting.
• Ask your carrier or forwarder for the bill of lading description that will appear on CBP Form 1302 before lading, and reject "freight all kinds" style descriptions at the booking stage.
• Reconcile the bill of lading numbers on your entry filings against the manifested bills so releases match, and route manifest corrections to the manifest filer rather than the entry filer.
• Verify current ACE ocean manifest record layouts in the CATAIR and current CSMS guidance on cbp.gov before changing any automated transmission.

Key references

• 19 U.S.C. 1431: the statutory manifest requirement for arriving vessels and the public disclosure rules for manifest data.
• 19 CFR 4.7: inward manifest contents, filing and the role of CBP Form 1302.
• 19 CFR 4.7a: cargo declaration detail, including description requirements.
• CBP forms library: the current printable CBP Form 1302 and related manifest forms.
• CBP Automated Systems: ACE ocean manifest program information, CATAIR chapters and CSMS messages.