[buckhamilton]

I have moved to HK this month and my possessions are packed into a container, waiting in the US to be shipped. I got a call from the shipping agent yesterday, telling me that now they need my SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER to attach to the bill of lading before the shipment can commence. I was told this is a new requirement in the last couple of weeks brought about by increased security measures due to global terrorism.

However, I was not told whether this was a government regulation or how my number will be kept secure from prying eyes! I am investigating this before I give them my number, but I wonder if any of you have heard of this and whether you can allay my concerns! Are there other ways to identify the shipment- like a passport number (actually I would have the same concern with that) or a driver license number?

Any thoughts are appreciated.

Thanks

[avla]

I don't think that I had to give up my SSN to get out the States when I came over in Feb but I definitely had to give the receiving agent copies of the relevant pages of my passport (i.e. stamped visa) to get my container through customs here in HK.

[KnowItAll]

I'm sure this is one of the lame arse regulations (assuming it is) thanks to the patriot act.

What global terrorism?

[buckhamilton]

So here is the way things turned out: I did not give my SSN to the shipping company, and they shipped my container anyway, they decided to take the risk of being 'out of compliance' when they cam through, the SSN rule being a new one. When the container got to Hong Kong, the local receiving agent called me and asked me to fax to them a copy of my passport, which I did, and the container passed customs no problem. I was never contacted by customs department personnel from either the US or Hong Kong, and I don't know the official rule that the shipping company was referring to.

[Troy]

We just moved from the US and a copy of the passport was enough. No SSN was asked by the shipping company.

[kram]

I am in the process of shifting and there is a new form required to be filled out where SSN is required.

The person from the shipping company told me it was the first time he was seeing the form.

Rgds
Kram