What is considered bulk cargo and what is considered break bulk cargo according to CBP?

What is considered bulk cargo and what is considered break bulk cargo according to CBP?

Per the Frequently Asked Questions Inbound Vessel Only - Trade Act of 2002 Final Rule CBP Document:
 
What is considered bulk cargo?
 
For the purposes of the 24-hour advanced manifest rule only, the following definition will be used for bulk cargo:  “Homogenous cargo that is stowed loose in the hold and is not enclosed in any    container such as a box, bale, bag, cask, or the like.  Such cargo is also described as bulk freight.  Specifically, bulk cargo is composed of either: (A) free flowing articles such as oil, grain, coal, ore, and the like which can be pumped or run through a chute or handled by dumping; or (B) uniform cargo that stows as solidly as bulk cargo and requires mechanical handling for lading and discharging.” 
 
Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Border Targeting and Analysis (BTA) has determined that the following list of commodities and commodity types can be classified as bulk cargo.  To be classified as bulk, this cargo may not be containerized and must be easily identifiable as laden on the vessel.  Any bundling of the following commodities must only be for the purposes of securing the cargo.  This list may be changed and updated as deemed appropriate by CBP. 

·         Coils of steel and other metals

·         Rails of steel and other metals

·         Wire rods of steel and other metals (may be coiled or flat)

·         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)

·         Sawn Timber/Lumber as a commodity (not as packaging material)

·         Paperboard/Fiberboard/Plywood as a commodity (not as packaging material)

·         Paper products as commodity (wood pulp, newsprint and paper rolls and not as packaging material)

·         Certain perishable goods, not in boxes, bags or containerized, and not frozen, but laden and stowed in a way similar to other types of bulk cargo (includes seafood and produce)

·         Blooms (similar to “billets and of metal)

·         Anodes/Cathodes, in sheets only (may be corrugated)
 
What is considered break bulk cargo? 

Break bulk cargo will be defined as cargo that is not containerized and that cannot be classified as “bulk” cargo under the above definition.  For example, new and used vehicles will be classified as break bulk cargo.  Although uniform in nature, vehicles have identifying marks (such as a Vehicle Identification Number or VIN).  One necessary aspect of bulk cargo is fungibility.  The presence of a VIN removes that component from the shipment of new or used vehicles. 
It is important to note that the difference between bulk and break bulk is based not only on the type of cargo, but also on the way in which the cargo is stowed or loaded.  For example, bananas stowed loosely in a hold (not in boxes or containers) will be considered bulk.  Palletized boxes of bananas loaded directly into a hold (but not loose or containerized) will be considered break bulk.