WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman David Schweikert (R-AZ), alongside China Select Committee Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI), Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), and Congressman Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) introduced the Manifest Modernization Act— legislation that will help law enforcement track fentanyl precursors entering the U.S., identify major sanction evasions schemes meant to skirt American law, and will uncover Uyghur and forced labor in supply chains. Currently, only ocean vessels must publicly disclose manifest information. The bill would extend the public disclosure requirement to aircraft, truck, and rail manifests. 

Millions of shipments entering the country each day face little scrutiny. Public disclosure of shipping manifests is critical for tracking imports of unsafe or illegal goods like fentanyl, goods made with forced labor, trade-based money laundering and illicit finance, sanctions evasion, and counterfeit goods.

“The Manifest Modernization Act closes a critical loophole, ensuring air, truck, and rail shipments are held to the same standards as goods arriving by ship. By requiring public disclosure of this shipment data, we’ll improve enforcement against unsafe and illicit goods—effectively stopping fentanyl, counterfeits, and products made with forced labor. This legislation also targets PRC companies that transship through third countries to dodge President Trump’s tariffs, leveling the playing field for American workers,” said House Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar [MI-01].

“The Manifest Modernization Act will strengthen and secure our supply chains by improving transparency and efficiency at our ports of entry. By modernizing outdated customs processes, this bipartisan bill will help prevent illicit goods, such as fentanyl, and products made with forced labor in the PRC from entering our country while ensuring lawful shipments can move swiftly and safely,” said Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi [IL-08].

“We need to shine a light on the labor and supply chains responsible for unsafe shipments entering the United States by air, land, and rail. Hiding import data allows the abuse of human rights to flourish in the shadows,” said Rep. Lloyd Doggett [TX-37]. “Our legislation seeks to improve accountability while giving American consumers the confidence they are not purchasing products that contributed to environmental harm, forced labor or any other form of wrongdoing, or laced with fentanyl.”

Background on the Manifest Modernization Act:

• Under current law, when an import enters the U.S. via ocean carrier, vessel manifest information must be publicly disclosed while imports that arrive via aircraft, truck, or rail do not.
• Ocean vessels have long been required to disclose manifest information to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), including the name and address of the shipper, general character of the cargo, number of packages and gross weight, name of vessel or carrier, port of exit, port of destination, and country of destination. 
• In 1996, Congress expanded disclosure requirements to include aircraft manifests to help law enforcement and trademark holders track counterfeit goods.
• However, due to a drafting error in a later bill, courts have ruled that aircraft manifests are not subject to public disclosure. Vehicles, including trucks and rail, have never been required to disclose manifest information.
• Today, nearly half of the value of imports comes either by air or land. Ocean manifest data has aided investigations that have identified major Russia sanctions evasion schemes, uncovered Uyghur forced labor in supply chains, tracked tainted pharmaceutical products, and helped law enforcement find shipments linked to criminal activity, including drug smuggling.
• Businesses also rely on data gleamed from ocean manifests to find and evaluate suppliers, identify new customers, research market trends, and protect their intellectual property.
• The Manifest Modernization Act would simply require all imports to be publicly disclosed by CBP to the American public.
   

  You can read the full bill text here.