Shipping donated humanitarian cargo

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1. What the program pays for

American nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) can ship donated humanitarian goods abroad through the Defense Department’s humanitarian assistance transportation programs, under the Security Assistance Management Manual (SAMM) (SAMM C12.7.2). Money for running them is limited, and the Defense Department cannot promise that every application will be approved (SAMM C12.7.2.1). If an application is approved, the Department pays only to move the cargo to the destination country. Donors or recipients pay for everything else, including transport inside the country, temporary storage and local distribution. Customs clearance and taxes, whether paid or waived, are the recipient’s responsibility. Who may donate and how the two programs compare is covered in donated relief supplies and disaster response.

Donations must serve a humanitarian purpose for the civilian population, and may not include hazardous, political or religious material (SAMM C12.7.2.2). The manual lists items that will not be shipped. They include passengers and livestock, hazardous goods such as liquids, paints, batteries and fuels, and perishable food needing refrigeration. Food with less than 18 months of shelf life is refused. Pharmaceuticals are refused outright, as are medical supplies not for human consumption with less than 18 months to expiry. Vocational training material, sports equipment, musical instruments and toys are also excluded. Items carrying political or religious markings are refused too, along with anything that is not humanitarian supplies or equipment. Contracted inspectors check all donated cargo for suitability.

2. Two ways to move it

Under the funded program, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) coordinates approved shipments with the United States Transportation Command and the Army Transportation Command. A commercial carrier is then contracted to carry the cargo from the donor’s pickup point to its destination (SAMM C12.7.2.3). Funding is limited, so donors are served first come, first served until the year’s money runs out. The space-available program, sometimes called the Denton program, uses spare room on Defense transport from a military port of embarkation to a port in the destination country (SAMM C12.7.2.4). Dates are not guaranteed, and a move can take several months. DSCA works closely with the State Department on running it, as 10 U.S.C. 402 requires.

3. The paperwork

Each donor must provide supporting documents before its application is processed, completed or uploaded through the program website, and paper copies are not accepted (SAMM C12.7.3). The online application gives the donor, destination, delivery location, consignee, beneficiaries, cargo weight and volume, distribution plan and pickup points (SAMM C12.7.3.1). It must include a full itemized inventory with each item’s name, quantity, volume, weight and any expiration date, and totals for pieces, gross weight and gross volume.

The donor certifies six things (SAMM C12.7.3.2). The cargo will be used only for humanitarian purposes and will not go to anyone engaged in military or paramilitary activity. It is usable and fit to transport, and the beneficiaries need it and can use it safely. It will not be sold or used commercially, and the donor will follow Defense guidelines and reporting rules. The donor also signs a liability release clearing the government of loss or damage to the goods (SAMM C12.7.3.3).

Customs papers come next. A duty free cover sheet tells DSCA how foreign taxes will be paid, because the Defense Department does not pay taxes imposed by a partner (SAMM C12.7.3.4). A tax exoneration or duty free certificate from the destination country’s finance ministry confirms duty-free entry, or that taxes will be paid on arrival, and needs an English translation (SAMM C12.7.3.5). A notarized consignee affidavit, signed by the donor, confirms the consignee is qualified to receive and distribute the goods (SAMM C12.7.3.6). Medical donations need an acceptance letter from the health ministry, and vehicles need an inspection checklist and data sheet (SAMM C12.7.3.7 and SAMM C12.7.3.8).

4. Inspection

Once an application is approved, DSCA decides whether to seek space-available military transport or to pay for commercial surface shipping, subject to available funds (SAMM C12.7.4.5). If it cannot schedule transport, it tells the donor to collect the cargo. All cargo on the approved inventory must be at one location for inspection, which checks program compliance, transportability and safety but not quality (SAMM C12.7.4.6). Donors remain responsible for serviceability, and nothing may be added after inspection.

Inspection differs by program. Space-available cargo is inspected by a government representative, may then be shrink-wrapped or sealed, and is delivered by the donor to a military port (SAMM C12.7.4.6.1). Funded cargo is best staged in an American warehouse with a loading dock (SAMM C12.7.4.6.2). The donor loads the Defense-provided container while the inspector watches, labels it, and the inspector seals it.

5. Movement and delivery

For space-available moves, the transportation command’s space-available office advises the donor, estimates pallet positions, assigns control numbers, arranges clearance with the embassy and confirms receipt (SAMM C12.7.4.7.1). A Combatant Command may also carry approved cargo on its own aircraft once DSCA has inspected and approved it. If no space is available, DSCA contracts a commercial carrier under the funded program (SAMM C12.7.4.7.2). The donor and consignee arrange receipt at the port or destination, and neither the embassy nor any military or paramilitary body may receive the goods, though they may help distribute them (SAMM C12.7.4.8).

6. Reporting back

After delivery, the donor must file an after action report on the program website, and the application stays open until it does (SAMM C12.7.4.9). A donor that fails to file becomes ineligible for future shipments (SAMM C12.7.3). A donor that completes at least three funded shipments in full compliance becomes a trusted donor and may have up to three funded applications open at once (SAMM C12.7.4.10). That status is lost if the donor later fails to follow the rules or to handle cargo responsibly on arrival.

Key terms

Funded transportation program	Commercial surface shipping of donated cargo, paid from limited humanitarian funds.
Space-available program	Shipping donated cargo in spare room on Defense transport, also called the Denton program.
Consignee affidavit	A notarized statement that the recipient can receive and distribute the goods.
After action report	The donor’s report after delivery, needed to stay eligible.
Trusted donor	A donor with three compliant funded shipments, allowed three open applications.

Every statement above links to the document behind it. The full source list for this piece is on the sources page.

This page describes public United States government programs for general information. It is not legal, regulatory or procurement advice, and it does not address the facts of any particular case.

How Sentfore supports this

Cargo that arrives still has to be received, stored and distributed. Sentfore works at the delivery end of defense programs in difficult environments, providing secure movement, protective security, facilities and life support. Requirements can be sent through the contact page.