A shipment entity is a structured data record that includes key shipment details such as carrier, carrier bill, and shipment parties (e.g., seller, buyer, consignee, and ship-to parties). These entities are essential for creating ISF (Importer Security Filing) or IEF (Import Entry Filing), allowing users to reuse shipment data across multiple customs filings. Since a single shipment may require various filings, referencing a shipment entity in pCustoms ensures efficiency and consistency. Let's explore this step-by-step guide on how to create a shipment entity in pCustoms, simplifying customs compliance and documentation management.

You need to click on the "Directory" drop-down at the left navigation bar:

Then, click on the Shipments:

You need to click on the "New Shipment" button at the top right to open the form to enter the new shipment details:

Now, it's time to fill out the necessary details to create your shipment entity. You need to enter the following details:

The shipment reference is your unique reference to define the shipment entity in our system, which you can later reference when filing your customs filings, such as ISF or IEF. It can be your purchase order number, any reference or ID number you want to use, and it should be less than 20 characters.

The master bill issuer is the carrier who is issuing the master bill of lading or air waybill. You can input carrier name or carrier code to search and then choose from the carriers you have in the carriers module:

If you need to add a new carrier, you can follow the article here that goes into detail on how to create carrier entities in pCustoms.

The master bill number is the bill number that was issued by the Master bill carrier:

Most of the time, you will also have a house bill issuer, which is the freight forwarder, non-vessel operating common carrier (NVOCC), or indirect air carrier (IAC) that is in between the master carrier and you. As with the master carrier, you need to input the entity name or carrier code to search for house bill issuers and then choose from the parties you have in the carriers module:

If you need to add a new house carrier, you can add it in the same way as you do for a master carrier.

The house bill number is the bill number that was issued by the House bill carrier:

The consignee is the entity in the United States on whose account the merchandise is shipped. You can input the entity name, city, or country ISO code to search from entities you have in the commercial entities module:

If you need to add a new consignee, you can follow the article here that goes into detail on how to add a new consignee entity in pCustoms.

The seller is the last known entity by whom the goods are sold or agreed to be sold. If the goods are to be imported otherwise than in pursuance of a purchase (such as the cargo movement between the same party), the seller will be the owner of the goods. You can input the entity name, city, or country ISO code to search from entities you have in the commercial entities module:

If you need to add a new seller, you can follow the article here that goes into detail on how to add a new non-importer entity such as sellers in pCustoms.

The buyer is the last known entity to whom the goods are sold or agreed to be sold. In the same way as with the seller, if the goods are to be imported other than in pursuance of a purchase (such as the cargo movement between the same party), the buyer will be the owner of the goods. You can input the entity name, city, or country ISO code to search from entities you have in the commercial entities module:

If you need to add a new buyer, you can follow the article here that goes into detail on how to add a new non-importer entity such as buyers in pCustoms.

The ship-to-party is the first deliver-to party scheduled to physically receive the goods after the goods have been released from US customs custody. You can input the entity name, city, or country ISO code to search from entities you have in the commercial entities module:

If you need to add a new ship-to-party, you can follow the article here that goes into detail on how to add a new importer entity, such as ship-to-party in pCustoms.

The stuffing location is the entity where the goods were stuffed into the container. For break bulk shipments, the entity where the goods were made ship-ready must be provided. You can input the entity name, city, or country ISO code to search from entities you have in the commercial entities module:

If you need to add a new stuffing location, you can follow the article here that goes into detail on how to add a new non-importer entity, such as a stuffing location in pCustoms.

The consolidator (stuffer) is the entity that stuffed the container or has arranged for the stuffing of the container. For break bulk shipments, the entity who made the goods ship ready or who arranged for the goods to be made ship ready must be provided. You can input the entity name, city, or country ISO code to search from entities you have in the commercial entities module:

If you need to add a new consolidator, you can follow the article here that goes into detail on how to add a new non-importer entity, such as a consolidator in pCustoms.

Then, when you are ready and have filled out all the details mentioned above, just click on the "Submit" button at the bottom:

If your entry is successfully submitted, then you will be redirected to the shipments module, where you can see all the shipment entities you created in a table like the one below:

You can filter through the columns by clicking on the filter button in the respective column name:

Or sort in an ascending or descending order by clicking the respective column name:

To open the profile details of the shipment, just click the shipment reference:

You will see the data entered in the below format:

If you want to change some details in the future, just click the "Edit" button at the bottom to make the form fields editable:

When you are ready and have made the changes you need, just click on "Save":

Creating a shipment entity in pCustoms allows users to efficiently manage shipment details, including carrier, bills of lading, air waybill, and shipment parties, for seamless customs filings. By entering key shipment data once, businesses can reuse the same entity for multiple filings, such as ISF and Import Entry Filings, reducing redundancy and ensuring consistency. The system also provides options to search, filter, edit, and update shipment records, making it easy to maintain accurate and up-to-date shipment information for smooth trade operations.