Did you put the use in a different package? What the use identical to what you posted, or did it have a list (empty or otherwise)? Did you use require (which doesn't import) instead of use?

#!/usr/bin/perl

use XML::Simple ();
BEGIN { print(__PACKAGE__->can('XMLin') ? 1 : 0, "\n"); }  # 0

use XML::Simple;
BEGIN { print(__PACKAGE__->can('XMLin') ? 1 : 0, "\n"); }  # 1


package Other;
BEGIN { print(__PACKAGE__->can('XMLin') ? 1 : 0, "\n"); }  # 0

use XML::Simple;
BEGIN { print(__PACKAGE__->can('XMLin') ? 1 : 0, "\n"); }  # 1


package YetOther;
BEGIN { print(__PACKAGE__->can('XMLin') ? 1 : 0, "\n"); }  # 0

use XML::Simple qw( XMLout );
BEGIN { print(__PACKAGE__->can('XMLin') ? 1 : 0, "\n"); }  # 0

use XML::Simple qw( XMLin );
BEGIN { print(__PACKAGE__->can('XMLin') ? 1 : 0, "\n"); }  # 1


package main;  # Back to first package.
BEGIN { print(__PACKAGE__->can('XMLin') ? 1 : 0, "\n"); }  # 1
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