You know the feeling - the same one you get while you are undressing in the airport, waiting for the security staff to review the contents of your bag; it’s a little creepy, even though we know it is for the safety and wellbeing of everyone. To have someone look at you as though you might be a potential criminal is a little unnerving even to those of us that have nothing to hide. So, when moving to the United States you should consider that your household goods shipment will get almost the same treatment that you get when boarding an aircraft.

Under Title 19, Section 1467, of the United States Code (19 U.S.C. 1467), Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has a right to examine any shipment imported into the United States. In a nutshell this is what it means to you:

Customs Clearance Delays

It can mean that your shipment (which would clear between 3-5 business days under normal circumstances) can take over a week to clear in some cases. It really depends on the extent of the exam. There are two types of exams, Vacis (x-ray exams) where the container passes through an x-ray machine and if all checks out, just like in the airport, it is moved along. The second type are physical exams, where the container is moved to a Centralized Examination Station and a team of government bonded employees conduct a physical inspection of the contents in the container. Obviously this is more time consuming.

Additional Charges for Exams

Per CBP regulations, it is the responsibility of the importer to bear the expense involved in the exam process. The big question that we hear a lot is, “Why must I pay the government to do an exam of their choosing?” The reality is that you are not paying the government, but paying the labor to get the container moved to the exam site (truckers) and the workers who are handling the labor at the CES facilities, which are privately owned and operated facilities. We have seen x-ray exams run from $75-$250 and physical exams with charges up to $500-$600 when trucking costs are factored in.

Additional Charges for Demurrage

What is demurrage? It is a fancy word for container storage. The average steamship line will give a customer approx. 4 business days from the time the container hits the port until the time you have to complete customs clearance and move it from the port. To achieve this when an exam is involved is virtually impossible. The average rate of demurrage depends on the steamship line who own the container. It can range from $75.00 up to $200.00 per day. As you can see, the additional charges for demurrage can add up fast if the shipment is stuck in the exam process.

Your Rights

You have the right to ask for back-up documentation to prove the charges you are being asked to pay. However, realize that the forwarder, broker or relocation company acting on your behalf may charge for courier fees and administration fees to cover the cost of the additional paperwork requirements. This is usually nominal in comparison to the time and effort that is spent in moving your shipment through the customs process, so understand it is not an attempt to add charges. Trust me, any fee added is small compared to what you might have to go through if you did not have a representative advocating for you.

When planning to move your household goods shipment to the United States you must remember five important things that will make the process smoother.

1. Plan to have a minimum of $1000.00 in a “just in case” fund to pay possible exam related costs. This does not mean that your charges will not go over $1000.00 if demurrage becomes an issue, but it is a good base line in order to plan ahead.

2. Avoid the attempt to crawl through the phone line and strangle your move coordinator who breaks the bad news of additional exam charges. They are just reporting the news, like the weatherman that tells you it is going to rain on your wedding day. We must pay the charges on your behalf in order to get your shipment released. Shipments are not released until we pay all charges due and each day we debate the fairness of the charges is another day of demurrage. We would love to wave the magic wand and make it go away, because we understand your pain and frustration. The sad fact is that if we do not pay the charges to get the shipment released you will have paid enough in demurrage to buy yourself an entire new household!

3. Check our prohibited items list, because if an item is listed on there it REALLY is prohibited. Including things to your shipment that are prohibited can make the exam process even harder. We have had items confiscated, because the owner thought, “Who will know my antique piano has ivory keys?” Customs will know! The item may be ordered to be destroyed or exported out of the country, which means BIG dollars out of your pocket. Trust us when we tell you to not ship certain items. We are looking out for your best interest.

4. Drink your alcohol before you move. We are not advocating drinking (heck, you may be drinking it right now as you read this notice!). We are advocating a reduction in stress by not shipping it, because you will need to file an FDA Prior Notice Form when shipping alcohol and several ports will not accept alcohol entries at all. Unless you have a wine collection (which requires special documentation), we recommend a big party before the move!

5. As customs regulations are subject to change without notice, we recommend checking with your local U.S. Consulate for the latest regulations as it is ultimately your responsibility to comply with U.S. Customs regulations.

6. If you have questions, doubts or fears about sending your shipment to the United States contact a worldwide relocation company which can help you navigate the waters. We want to make your transition as smooth as possible!