How Customs Can Affect Overseas Shipping

Overseas Shipping can have unanticipated problems if you are not familiar with customs, their processes for examining packages and the time it takes to ship from the United States overseas and the reverse. For any package that is going to or coming from another country, it is important to allow for up to 1 to 3 weeks of time for customs. Customs has the job of examining every shipment going in and out of the U.S. for security and tax purposes. Their primary job is to keep illegal shipments out of the country, and to stop any problematic packages off of U.S. transportation. These are important jobs, and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection service can take as long as they want to process shipments.

How to Get Shipments Processed Quickly

Always keep in mind that customs can delay any shipment. However, you can expedite your shipments by following procedure properly and filling out all appropriate forms. Every packaged shipping in and out of customs should be accompanied by all forms, and you should also keep a copy. Standard processing time for most shipments is approximately three days to one week. However, customs will randomly pick out shipments for more thorough examination. Additionally, if you are in an industry that gets targeted by terrorists or illegal shipments, or you are shipping during a time of high tension, your package will take longer.

Finding Out the Status of Your Package

You can contact customs to find out the status of your package. Since customs has the right to keep your package for examination, best practice is to be polite and professional when you contact them. They are not required to rush your package through.