The following list, provided by CBP, is a guide to acceptable and unacceptable descriptions. This list is not exhaustive and will continue to expand as unacceptable descriptions are identified and acceptable descriptions are further refined. Descriptions in the Acceptable column should be viewed only as examples of the items they actually describe and not as a list of specifically acceptable or restrictive terms.
Vague Item Description
Bolded text indicates line items that have been added as of August 12, 2024.
| Unacceptable | Acceptable |
|---|---|
| "Brand" or "Trade Mark" names by themselves, i.e., "Bubbles Brand" | "Bubbles Brand" Laundry Detergent |
| Laundry Detergent | |
| Animals | Horse |
| Poultry | |
| Bovine | |
| Apparel/Clothing/Garments | Shoes, Footwear |
| Wearing Apparel, Ladies' Apparel, Men's Apparel | Women's Dresses |
| Men's Shirts | |
| Boy's Jackets | |
| Appliances | Refrigerator |
| Stove | |
| Microwave Oven | |
| Coffee Machines | |
| Accessories | Hair Elastics |
| Sunglasses | |
| Socks | |
| Auto Parts | Air Filters |
| Automobile Brakes | |
| Automotive Windshield | |
| Automotive Wiper Blades | |
| Auto Accessories | Automotive Wiper Blades |
| Bill of Lading, Sea Waybill, Air Manifest or a reference to another bill of lading number | A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples |
| Blanket | 100% Polyester Blanket |
| Caps | Baseball Caps |
| Blasting Caps | |
| Bottle Caps | |
| Hub Caps | |
| Chair | Leather Office Chair |
| Chemicals, hazardous | Actual Chemical Name (not brand name): |
| U.N. HAZMAT Code Identifier | |
| Chemicals, non-hazardous | Aluminum Potassium Sulfate |
| Methyl Alcohol | |
| U.N. HAZMAT Code Identifier | |
| Cleaning Products | Detergents |
| Mops | |
| Window Cleaner | |
| Clothes | 100% Wool Poncho |
| Company Business | A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples |
| Consolidated (on house or simple bills) | Consolidated (only on master bills, where there will be several house bills of varying descriptions) |
| Consumer Goods | A clear and concise description of the item is required |
| Crafts/Craft Supplies | Pipe Cleaners |
| Daily Necessities | A clear and concise description of the item is required (e.g. Plastic Comb, Cosmetic Mirror, Deodorant, Diapers) |
| Necessities | A clear and concise description of the item is required (e.g. Shampoo, Hand Cream, Toilet Paper) |
| Handicrafts | Construction paper, cotton balls, pipe cleaners, pompoms, decorative objects made by hand |
| Electronic Goods | Computers, Monitors, Televisions, Mobile Telephones, DVD players, Electronic Toys, Video Game Consoles, Electronic Dolls |
| Electronic Device | Kitchen Hand Mixer |
| Equipment | Oil Well Equipment, Hydro-Electric Turbine |
| Fitness Equipment | Stationary Exercise Bicycle |
| Industrial Equipment | Poultry Equipment, Compact Farm Tractor |
| Film | Camera Film |
| Polyethylene Film | |
| Polyester Film | |
| Flooring | Wood Flooring |
| Carpet | |
| Ceramic Tile | |
| Marble Flooring | |
| Foodstuffs | Packaged Rice, Bulk Rice, Mangos, Baking Flour |
| Food | Pasta, Canned Tuna, Corn Tortillas |
| Meat | Fresh Beef, Frozen Chicken |
| Fish | Live Trout, Frozen Salmon, Canned Tuna |
| Produce/Assorted Produce/Mixed produce/Mix Veg | Fresh Oranges, Frozen Broccoli, Canned Peaches |
| Pet food | Canned Dog Food, Dry Cat Food |
| Cases of Food | Juice, Olive Oil |
| Snacks | Soda, Crackers, Potato Chips |
| Gifts | Dolls, Basketball, Toy Car |
| Novelty Items | Remote Control Cars, Toy Phone |
| Frames | Picture Frames |
| Freight Prepaid | A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples |
| Handle | Interior Brass Door Handle |
| Hose | Rubber Garden Hose |
| Household Goods/Personal Effects | Acceptable only when goods are Personal / Used Household Effects transported by a commercial carrier (Goods accounted under a Personal Effects Accounting Document) |
| Household Items | See Household Goods |
| Indecipherable descriptions ex. "RED SMOOTH MODULAR", "CDRE", "D6T PARTS", "RIPE”, “Z”, “2” | A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples |
| Iron | Iron Pipes |
| Iron Plates | |
| Kitchen Supplies | Stainless Steel Kitchen Knives |
| Leather Articles | Saddles |
| Leather Handbags | |
| Leather Jackets | |
| Shoes | |
| Machines | Sewing Machines |
| Printing Machines | |
| Machine Parts | Oil Pumps |
| Silicone Seals | |
| Car Engines | |
| Medical Supplies | Medical Gloves, N95 Masks, Rolls of Gauze |
| Biologicals | Blood, plasma, tissue, semen |
| Medical Device | Dialysis Machine |
| Laboratory Goods | Syringes |
| Glass vials for laboratory use | |
| Medication/Pharmaceuticals | Insulin, Allergy Medication, with the common name or chemical name |
| Metal | Ingots of metal (precious or otherwise) |
| Round bars of steel or other metal | |
| Deformed bars/rebars (of metal) | |
| Plates (of metal) | |
| Billets (of metal) | |
| Slabs (of metal) | |
| Pipes (of metal) | |
| Beams (of metal) | |
| Tubes/Tubing (of metal) | |
| Angles, shapes and sections (of metal) | |
| Sheets (of metal) | |
| Expanded metal | |
| Flat bars (of metal) | |
| Strand wire (of metal) | |
| Oil | Mineral Oil |
| Motor Oil | |
| Olive Oil | |
| Online Retailer, Online Retailer Shipment | A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples |
| Ore | Iron Ore |
| Copper Ore | |
| Packaging | Corrugated Cardboard Boxes |
| Boxes | Mailing Envelopes |
| Cartons | Plastic Bubble Wrap |
| Palletized Shipment | A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples |
| Paper | Paper Rolls |
| Wrapping Paper | |
| Paper Pulp | |
| Paper Towel | |
| Printing Paper | |
| Pipes | Plastic Pipes |
| PVC Pipes | |
| Steel Pipes | |
| Plants/Flowers | Tulips, Daisies, Roses |
| Cuttings | Cedar Saplings |
| Tomato Plants | |
| Plastic Goods | Plastic Kitchenware |
| Industrial Plastics | Plastic Toys |
| Plastic Sheets | |
| Plastic Tubes | |
| Polyurethane | Polyurethane Threads |
| Polyurethane Medical Gloves | |
| Powder | Flea Powder |
| Baby Powder | |
| Corn Starch | |
| Promotional Items | A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples |
| Pump | Oil Pump |
| Water Pump | |
| Bicycle Pump | |
| Readymade Garments ~ HTS:610910 | Women's 100% Cotton T-Shirt |
| Men's 100% Rayon Shorts | |
| Rubber Articles | Rubber Hoses |
| Automobile Passenger Tires | |
| Rubber Toys | |
| Rubber Conveyor Belts | |
| Rods | Welding Rods |
| Rebar | |
| Aluminum Rods | |
| Reactor Rods | |
| Sample | Shampoo Sample |
| Conditioner Sample | |
| Makeup Sample | |
| Scrap | Plastic Scrap |
| Aluminum Scrap | |
| Iron Scrap | |
| Serial Number only ("SN HAFR997MJ02041010") | A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples |
| Shingles | Asphalt Shingles |
| Steel Shingles | |
| Wood Shingles | |
| Spare Parts | Cellphone Replacement Screen |
| New Automobile Breaks | |
| Sporting Goods | Hockey Sticks |
| Soccer Balls | |
| Goal Nets | |
| Stone Products | Granite Stone Slabs |
| STC (Said to Contain) | A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples |
| General Cargo | A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples |
| FAK (Freight of All Kinds) | A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples |
| "No Description" | A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples |
| 'Misc/Miscellaneous' | A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples |
| Various | A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples |
| General | A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples |
| Unknown | A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples |
| UNK | A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples |
| XX | A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples |
| NOI (Not Otherwise Indicated) | A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples |
| NES (Note Elsewhere Specified) | A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples |
| Scooter | Adult Electric Scooter with Battery |
| Shelf | Metal Shelving Units |
| Steel | Steel Plates |
| Steel Coils | |
| Supplements | Vitamins |
| Protein Powder | |
| Supplies | A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples |
| Stuff | A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples |
| T-Shirt | Men's 100% Cotton T-Shirt |
| Taxable Groceries | Ice Cream |
| Potato Chips | |
| Textiles | Carpets/Rugs |
| Silk | |
| Finished Fabric Rolls | |
| Thing | A clear and concise description of the item is required – see other acceptable descriptions for examples |
| Tiles | Marble Tiles |
| Tires, New Tires, Tyre | Automobile Passenger Tires, Bicycle Tire |
| Toiletries/Bathroom Products | Towels |
| Toothbrushes | |
| Shampoo | |
| Tools | Screwdrivers, Wrenches, Hammers |
| Cordless Drills, Circular Saws, Wired Impact Drivers, Pneumatic Ratchets | |
| Industrial Lathe, Band Saw, Reciprocating Saw | |
| Tool Carts | Plastic Hand Tool Storage Cart |
| Toys/Games | Wooden Children's Toys |
| Plastic Children's Toys | |
| Board Games | |
| Console Games | |
| Vehicles | Cars, Trucks, Buses, Recreational Vehicle |
| Tractors, Combines | |
| Bicycles | |
| Boats | |
| Wires | Steel Wire |
| Copper Wire | |
| Auto Harness | |
| Coiled Wire (Industrial) | |
| Wood | Hemlock logs with bark |
| Empty Wood Pallets | |
| Cut Lumber |