A bill to protect the confidentiality of Shippers' Export Declarations, and to standardize export data submission and disclosure requirements.
PL 96-275 (H.R.6842), enacted 06/17/1980

PUBLIC LAW 96-275—JUNE 17, 1980 
94 STAT. 539 
Public Law 96-275 
96th Congress 
An Act 
To protect the confidentiality of Shippers' Export Declarations, and to standardize 
export data submission and disclosure requirements. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 301 of 
title 13, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end thereof 
the following new subsection: 
"(g) Shippers' Export Declarations (or any successor document), 
wherever located, shall be exempt from public disclosure unless the 
Secretary determines that such exemption would be contrary to the 
national interest.". 
SEC. 2. Section 4199 of the Revised Statutes (46 U.S.C. 93)" is 
amended to read as follows: 
"SEC. 4199. (a) Copies of bills of lading or equivalent commercial 
documents relating to all cargo encompassed by the manifest re-
quired under this chapter shall be attached to such manifest and 
delivered to the appropriate officer of the United States Customs 
Service at the time such manifest is delivered. 
"(b) The following information shall be included on such manifest, 
or on attached copies of bills of lading or equivalent commercial 
documents: 
"(1) Name and address of shipper. 
"(2) Description of the cargo. 
"(3) Number of packages and gross weight. 
"(4) Name of vessel or carrier. 
"(5) Port of exit. 
"(6) Port of destination. 
"(c) Except as provided in subsection (d), the following information 
contained on such manifest, or on attached copies of bills of lading or 
equivalent commercial documents, shall be available for public 
disclosure: 
"(1) Name and address of shipper, unless the shipper has made 
a biennial certification claiming confidential treatment pursu-
ant to procedures adopted by the Secretary of the Treasury. 
"(2) General character of the cargo. 
"(3) Number of packages and gross weight. 
"(4) Name of vessel or carrier. 
"(5) Port of exit. 
"(6) Port of destination. 
"(7) Country of destination. 
"(d) The information listed in subsection (c) shall not be available 
for public disclosure if^ 
"(1) the Secretary of the Treasury makes an affirmative 
finding on a shipment-by-shipment basis that disclosure is likely 
to pose a threat of personal injury or property damage; or 
"(2) the information is exempt under the provisions of section 
552(b)(1) of title 5 of the United States Code. 
June 17, 1980 
[H.R. 6842] 
Shippers' Export 
Declarations, 
confidentiality. 
Export data 
submission and 
disclosure 
requirement 
standardization. 
Disclosure, 
exemptions. 
94 STAT. 540 
PUBLIC LAW 96-275—JUNE 17, 1980 
Access 
procedures, 
establishment. 
13 u s e 301 note. 
Effective dates. 
13 u s e 301 note. 
"(e) The Secretary of the Treasury, in order to allow for the timely 
dissemination and i)ublication of the information listed in subsection 
(c) above, is authorized to establish procedures to provide access to 
manifests, or attached bills of lacun^ or equivalent commercisd 
documents which shall include provisions for adequate protection 
against the public disclosure of information not available for public 
disclosure from such manifests or attached bills of lading, or equiva-
lent commercial documents.". 
SEC. 3. Nothing in this Act shall be construed as authorizing the 
withholding of 
mformation from Congress. 
SEC. 4. (a) Except as provided in subsection (b), this Act, and the 
amendments made by this Act, shall become effective on the later of 
July 1,1980, or the date of 
enactment of 
this Act. 
(b) The amendment made by section 2 shall become effective on the 
date which is forty-five days after the date of enactment of this Act. 
Approved June 17, 1980. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: 
HOUSE REPORT No. 96-928, pt. 1 (eomm. on Post Office and Oivil Service). 
SENATE REPORT No. 96-796 accompanying S. 2419 (eomm. on Governmental 
Affairs). 
eONGRESSIONAL REGORD, Vol. 126 (1980): 
May 12, considered and passed House. 
June 11, considered and passed Senate in lieu of S. 2419.