Customs Filing and Clearance for US Imports

 When managing an international supply chain, your goods must pass through the Customs (Customs Clearance) and Border Protection (CBP) of The United States. Ensuring customs clearance is an inevitable process, but it does not necessarily need to be tedious or confusing. To understand your supply chain, you need to understand the customs filling for US imports, but the CBP navigation process may be different depending on the type of delivery. For example, the way you manage your supply chain and deliver goods can change the process. However, this can sometimes be difficult for goods to be imported into the United States.

Do You Need A Customs Broker?

For goods less than US$2,500, the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) usually allows the goods to enter the United States in the form of informal entry. If the goods are regulated by the FDA or the goods are included in anti-dumping or countervailing duties, quotas or other restricted goods, these goods do need to be formally entered, if this exception condition is not met. Opening an account with the customs broker and preparing documents before shipping could be a wise choice.

Entry

Before the goods arrive at the port, some documents must be submitted to the customs. The customs also only require a pre-shipment declaration (ISF filling), for ocean freight, that must be completed 24 hours before departure. It provides information to classify goods that require immediate resolution and those that require further investigation.

Prepare Your Import Documents

Documents that are typically required with each shipment are listed below:

1. Customs/Commercial Invoice

2. Bill of Lading

3. OGD Documents

4. Commodity Specific Requirements or Documents

Meet the Requirements 

Other government departments have formulated product-specific and OGD requirements for safety, energy efficiency, health, standards, etc. Many items cannot be imported without additional permission or other documents that meet departmental requirement and satisfaction. Some exceptions to these requirements of custom imports are listed in the Code of Federal Regulations of the country of origin.

Pay the Charges

Customs duties are determined by the product, country of entry and Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF).

1. Merchandise Processing Fee is a mandatory fee (minimum 25 USD, maximum 485USD).

2. Harbour Maintenance Fee (HMF)- Such a low binding fee only applies to ship, which is done through ocean freight.

3. Penalties and Customs fine-

Customs may impose heavy penalties on late submission of ISF. In large ports, the cost of the uninterrupted inspection is about US$275, while the cost of the intensive inspection is about US$800, which does not include third-party storage and transportation costs.