International Express Customs Clearance Process and Time

International Express Customs Clearance Process and Time

I. International Express Customs Clearance Process

1. Shipment by the Sender

The sender hands over the goods to the express company and provides the goods information (name, quantity, value, brand, etc.) and the recipient information (name, address, contact information, etc.).

2. Express company review and declaration

The express company generates customs clearance documents (such as commercial invoices and packing lists) based on the goods information and submits the declaration to the customs.

3. Customs review and inspection

Document review: Customs checks whether the declaration documents are consistent with the goods information.

Physical inspection: Some goods need to be unpacked for inspection to check whether they contain prohibited items and whether they comply with the declared information.

4. Pay taxes and fees

Taxes and fees are calculated based on the value of the goods and the tax rate of the destination country, and are paid by the recipient (some express companies can pay on behalf of the recipient and charge a handling fee).

5. Release and delivery

After customs release, the express company will transfer the goods to the destination and arrange for delivery.

2. International express customs clearance time

1. Normal situation

Time range: 1-3 working days.

Applicable situations: ordinary goods, complete documents and no special problems.

2. Special situations

Inspection delay: If the goods are spot-checked by the customs or additional documents are required, the customs clearance time may be extended to 3-7 days.

Sensitive goods: Food, medicine, cosmetics and other goods that require special approval, the customs clearance time may be extended to 3-5 days or even longer.

Holidays or strikes: Force majeure factors such as holidays in the destination country and customs strikes may cause customs clearance time to be significantly extended.

3. Different modes of transportation

Air transport: Customs clearance time is usually 1-3 days. Due to the fast transportation speed, the customs clearance process is relatively efficient.

Full container shipping: Customs clearance time after arriving at the destination port is usually 2-5 days.

LCL shipping: Customs clearance time is relatively flexible, generally around 3-7 days.

3. Factors affecting customs clearance time

1. Nature of goods

Special items (such as flammables, dangerous goods, medicines, cosmetics, etc.) require stricter testing and supervision, which may increase customs clearance time.

2. Destination country policies

Different countries have different customs clearance processes and efficiencies. For example, the United States and European countries usually have shorter customs clearance times, while other countries may have longer customs clearance times.

3. Holidays or special periods

Force majeure factors such as holidays, strikes, and epidemics in the destination country will lead to uncertainty in customs clearance time.

4. Solutions

1. Understand customs regulations in advance

Check the import requirements of the destination country before sending the package, prepare complete information, and declare the value reasonably.

2. Choose professional services

In case of complex situations (such as missing certification documents and policy changes), it is recommended to entrust a professional customs broker to handle it to reduce risks.

3. Flexibly deal with delays

In case of customs clearance delays, contact the express company or customs broker in time to understand the specific reasons and take remedial measures.

V. Precautions

Information accuracy: Ensure that the declaration documents (such as invoices, test reports, brand authorization letters) are authentic and valid to avoid customs clearance delays due to information problems.

Recipient cooperation: Remind the recipient to keep the phone open and respond to customs notifications in a timely manner to avoid cargo detention due to incorrect information.

Policy changes: Pay attention to import policy adjustments in the destination country to avoid sending restricted goods.

Through the above processes and precautions, the probability of international express customs clearance delays can be effectively reduced to ensure smooth customs clearance of goods.