News for Importers

US mail small parcel

Customs Clearance for Small Parcel Mail Import

Importers have found that in some cases it is to their advantage to use the Postal Service rather than courier services to import merchandise into the United States. Some benefits to be gained are:

Merchandise shipped through the international postal service is forwarded upon its arrival in the United States to one of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) International Mail Branches for customs clearance. Valued less than $2500
If the item is less than $2,500 in value and is not subject to a quota or is not a restricted or prohibited item, a CBP official will usually prepare the paperwork for importing it, assess the proper duty, and release it for delivery. This customs clearance procedure is generally referred to as a mail entry.

A US Customs officer prepares the Customs entry for mail import not exceeding $2,500 in value, and the letter carrier at the destination delivers the parcel to the addressee upon payment of duty. If the value of a mail import exceeds $2,500, the addressee is notified to prepare and file a formal Customs entry (also called a consumption entry) for it at the nearest US Customs port. A commercial invoice is required with the customs entry.

A Customs processing fee will be assessed on each item of dutiable mail for which a Customs officer prepares documentation. The postal carrier will collect this nominal fee on all dutiable or taxable mail along with the duty owed. There is also a postal fee (in addition to prepaid postage) authorized by international postal conventions and agreements as partial reimbursement to the Postal Service for its extra work in clearing packages through Customs and delivering them.

Valued less than $200
Packages whose declared value is under $200 ($100 if being sent as a gift to someone other than the purchaser) will generally be cleared without any additional paperwork prepared by CBP. However, CBP always reserves the right to require a formal entry for any mail import and generally exercises this option if there is something unusual about the importation, or if important documents such as an invoice or bill of sale do not accompany the item.

Customs duties
If any duty is owed, CBP will charge a processing fee for customs clearance of your package. Duty and the processing fees are usually paid at your local post office, where your package is forwarded.

Tips for expediting customs clearance for mail
To speed a small package through US Customs examination at a port's International US Mail Branch, the seller should affix a completed CN 22 or CN 23 (US Customs and Border Protection Declaration Form) to the outside of the package. This form may be obtained at local post offices worldwide.

Each mail parcel containing an invoice or statement of value should be marked on the outer wrapper, on the address side, "Invoice enclosed." If the invoice or statement cannot be conveniently enclosed within the sealed parcel, it may be securely attached to the parcel. Failure to comply with any of these requirements will delay clearance of the shipment through US Customs.

Pros and Cons of shipping via US Mail

Pros: Savings on shipping charges. Smaller, low valued small packages can often be sent less expensively through the mails

Cons: If the item's value is more than $2,500, it may be held at the mail facility until you can arrange for a formal entry. This may require either hiring a customs broker to clear your goods or you may file the paperwork yourself.
Cons: Lost small packages are hard to find. Since most small packages sent through the US mail do not have tracking numbers unless they are insured or you've paid to have a tracking number, it can be impossible to trace a lost small package. If a package is lost a tracer should be initiated by the sender of the package.

Waiving Privacy
Packages other than parcel post (for example) letter class mail, commercial papers, printed matter, or samples of merchandise must bear on the address side a label, Form C1, provided by the Universal Post Union, or the endorsement "May be opened for customs purposes before delivery," or similar words definitely waiving the privacy of the seal and indicating that Customs officers may open the small parcel without recourse to the addressee. Small parcels not labeled or endorsed in this manner and found to contain prohibited merchandise, or containing merchandise that is subject to duty or tax, are subject to forfeiture.

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