How to hide your supplier from ImportYeti

Search almost any private-label brand on ImportYeti and you can often see the factory that makes its products, the factory's address and how often the brand reorders. None of that was hacked. It comes from U.S. ocean import records, and there is a legal way to keep your company out of them.

Why your supplier shows up in the first place

Every ocean shipment into the United States is declared on a vessel manifest. Each bill of lading on that manifest lists a consignee (usually you), a shipper (usually your factory), a notify party, and the cargo. Federal rules allow this manifest information to be made available to the press, and import-data companies such as ImportYeti, ImportGenius and Panjiva turn it into searchable records.

That means anyone who knows your company name can look up who ships to you. Copycat sellers, competitors and even fraudsters use exactly this search.

The fix that works at the source

Under 19 CFR 103.31(d), an importer or consignee can ask U.S. Customs and Border Protection to keep its name and address confidential on inward vessel manifests. The same certification can also cover the names and addresses of the importer's shippers, which is what hides your factory. Approved confidentiality lasts two years.

Because the data sites get their records from the manifest, withholding your details there is what stops new shipments from showing up under your name. Asking each data site one by one doesn't stop the next shipment from being published.

Step by step

1. Find every version of your name. Search your company on the major data sites and write down every spelling you appear under: "LLC" vs "L.L.C.", missing commas, abbreviations, DBAs, old addresses and typos. CBP says the name must exactly match how the importer is entered electronically, so any variant you leave out stays public.
2. List the suppliers you want withheld. Collect each overseas shipper's name as it appears on your bills of lading.
3. Prepare the certification. There is no prescribed format. CBP asks requesters to follow 19 CFR 103.31 and include the U.S. mailing address and EIN. The request must come from the company, or its authorized employee, official or attorney.
4. Submit it to CBP. CBP offers an online application (the method it recommends, which also accepts batch filings), or you can email vesselmanifestconfidentiality@cbp.dhs.gov or send it by mail.
5. Keep the acknowledgement. It confirms your effective date. Your two-year clock starts there.
6. Check for leaks. After approval, search your names again periodically. A new public shipment usually means a variant was missed. Add it and file an amended request.
7. Renew on time. CBP asks for renewals 60–90 days before expiry. Miss it and new shipments become public again. See how to renew.

What this won't do

• It isn't retroactive. Shipments published before approval stay in data-site archives. Some sites accept removal requests; results vary.
• It only covers ocean freight. The program applies to vessel manifests, not air or truck.
• It isn't a guarantee. CBP itself says it can't guarantee a party's identity will never be published.

Doing it yourself vs having it done

The filing itself is a form. The hard parts are finding every variant, keeping the list current as you add suppliers or addresses, checking for leaks, and never missing a renewal. That's the work Supplier Privacy does for you, starting with a free Exposure Check of what's public today.

Sources

• U.S. Customs and Border Protection — Electronic Vessel Manifest Confidentiality
• 19 CFR 103.31 — Information on vessel manifests and summary statistical reports

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Supplier Privacy is not affiliated with U.S. Customs and Border Protection.