How weekly entry works
Under 19 CFR 146.63(c), and with the port director's approval, an operator can enter merchandise removed from the zone during a week on a single entry. The cycle has two filings.
| Step | What is filed | When |
|---|---|---|
| Estimate | A Type 06 cargo release covering the merchandise expected to leave during the week | Before the week begins |
| Removals | Goods leave the zone under the estimate | During the week |
| Entry summary | A Type 06 entry summary (CBP Form 7501) for what actually left, with duty and fees | Within 10 business days |
The estimate is structured by line: HTS classification, zone status, manufacturer, and country of origin. If the week's removals include a combination the estimate did not cover, or quantities exceed it, the operator files a supplemental estimate.
Why it saves money
The merchandise processing fee (MPF) is charged per entry as a percentage of value, subject to a per-entry minimum and maximum set in 19 CFR 24.23. A zone that ships many times a week would pay MPF on every shipment without weekly entry. With it, a week of shipments shares one entry and one capped fee.
The saving is largest for zones with frequent, high-value shipments. It shrinks when an entry must be split, which leads to the most common problem.
Where operators go wrong
Line limits split the entry. An entry summary has a line limit. When a week's activity produces more lines than one entry can hold, the operator files additional entries, and each carries its own MPF. Grouping removals so the most common combinations share lines keeps the week on as few entries as possible.
Estimates drift from actuals. An estimate built from last month's shipments plus a cushion misses new parts and new origins. Removals outside the estimate need a supplemental filing before goods leave.
Status and origin get mixed. Every entry line carries zone status and country of origin. When the inventory record does not keep those with each layer, the entry summary has to be rebuilt by hand.
The summary is assembled at the deadline. Pulling a week of removals from warehouse reports and matching them to admissions is slow. Late or rushed summaries are where classification and quantity errors enter.
What good weekly-entry software does
- Tracks removals against the open estimate during the week, and warns before coverage runs out.
- Groups removals by the filing dimensions so the entry summary has as few lines as possible.
- Links every line to the admission and inventory layer it came from.
- Drafts the estimate and the entry summary from the ledger, leaving review and approval to the operator.
Pax FTZ prepares both weekly filings from the week's withdrawals and checks coverage while the week is open. For how weekly entry fits the rest of zone operations, see What is FTZ software?