Customs Exams: What to Expect
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If your shipment is flagged for a U.S. Customs exam, it means that it will be subject to further scrutiny and may experience delays.
U.S. Customs is responsible for preventing smuggling, mis-valuation, protecting the country, and monitoring security risks.
They have increased the number of shipments they examine and have become more sophisticated in their targeting and examination methods, including using gamma scanning technology to detect radiation.
When a shipment is flagged for an exam, Customs will first put a hold on it and then decide if further action is necessary.
The shipment may be released or detained for further examination.
If your shipment is put on hold by Customs, Beeontrade will send you an email with the information we have at that time, including the type of hold or exam, estimated delay, and whether the cargo may be opened.
We will continue to check on the status of the shipment and update you as we learn more.
Once the hold or exam is complete, we will send you a message to let you know that the cargo has cleared Customs and the shipment is back in motion.
While it is not always possible to avoid a Customs exam, there are steps you can take to minimize the risk.
Shipping FCL (Full Container Load) rather than LCL (Less than Container Load) can reduce the chances of your shipment being flagged for an x-ray exam.
This is a step you can try with minimum hassle or time delays.
Additionally, making sure that your paperwork is accurate and complete, including a commercial invoice with the Importer of Record, manufacturer, country of origin, the value of the items, the currency used in the transaction, and complete product description, can help to prevent issues with Customs.
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