Import Tips for Travelers

For those of you who are planning to go abroad, whether for a holiday, business, or perhaps a student year abroad, if you plan to send anything back to the States, there are some things you should be aware of. Even if you're sending your dirty laundry home (don't laugh; it happens a lot!), there are customs regulations that must be met or your package will languish in a warehouse for weeks before it ultimately gets sent back to the country you sent it from. Don't let this happen to you! Knowing just a few U.S. Customs regulations will help you avoid problems with clearance.

First of all, what are you sending back to the U.S.? If you really are sending back your dirty laundry and other used, personal goods, U.S. Customs has a form for that. This is important, though. Make sure everything really is your own, pre-owned stuff. Unaccompanied personal goods are entered into the country with no duty taxes due, but if Customs happens to do a routine, random check of your shipment, you do NOT want them finding trinkets and souvenirs you are sending to your family and friends! Don't ship that stuff with a shipment of your own, used personal belongings. It runs a real chance of getting hung up in the Customs clearance process.

However, if all the stuff really is used, personal goods, you can make this an easy Customs process. U.S. Customs has a form for clearance of used, personal goods here-

http://forms.cbp.gov/pdf/CBP_Form_3299.pdf

Don't have your shipper fill it out, you do it. Be thorough and complete both pages, signing and dating the second page. This might seem like overkill, but verify that your shipper will include the 3299 form with the paperwork they generate for the shipment. If the form ends up inside your package, that's no good. Freight carriers are not legally allowed to open your shipment, and Customs charges you to do it. Now, I work at one of the strictest ports in the country, and, from my experience, you will do well to also include a good quality copy of the picture page of your passport. This may not be strictly necessary in all cases, but remember, you are trying to make your shipment proceed as smoothly as possible.

Another very important element to moving your shipment through U.S. Customs is so often overlooked that it bears mention. If you are shipping something to the United States, make sure your shipping documents include an accurate physical address and concrete contact information for the receiver. This may seem like a no-brainer, but I cannot begin to tell you how many times I have had to return personal shipments of this kind, because the sender, you in this case, didn't give me any way to contact the receiver when I needed additional information for Customs. Ideally, provide both a good, daytime telephone number and an email address, not only for the receiver, but for you as well. Granted, whilst traveling abroad, you're not always going to have internet access, however, your receiver may not be able to provide the details required for clearance. Even if you experience a day or two's delay due to international time zone differences, you will be available to answer any additional questions that Customs may need. Also, U.S. Customs will not allow deliveries to PO Boxes, so, again, make sure you can provide a physical street address for delivery.

If you are shipping your fantastic new purchases, gifts, and souvenirs, there will be other documentation requested. Being forewarned of what's needed will help you make the U.S. Customs clearance of these types of imports easier, too.