When a transport service crosses a border is subject to control and taxes applied by each country through customs services. The agency in charge of customs in the United States is the CBP, that is, the Customs and Border Protection. Customs in the United States can be a remarkably simple task or can become a nightmare for the imports or exports, whether they are commercial shipments or personal effects. So, we are going to tell you how exports and imports to and from the United States work.

First, customs are not something you should hate or fear, they have a clear goal: the management of taxes and restrictions that certain products and materials may have in each country. That is why there are customs even within the borders of the same country, as is the case of the Canary Islands in Spain. Their processes and operations may be complex for those who are not used to them daily, which is why you should always count on specialists and professionals.

Customs procedures in the United States of America: a matter of trust

The most important trait of the documentation going to be applied in an import or export is its reliability. If there are irregularities of the content of the shipment, due to what is declared in customs, the customer must respond as responsible. As this is a fault or infraction. We must make a point here, as fraud in customs can apply large economic penalties and even, in the most serious cases, imprisonment.

These are sufficient reasons to always be honest and transparent both to customs and to the transport agencies that manage your shipping services. They are also many reasons to understand that when looking for a good customs management service you do not have to look at the price as much as the attention to detail and advice.

Remember that the person in charge of the customs declaration is the importer/exporter of the country where the procedure is carried out. It is not the accountability of the transportation company. If a shipment is delayed at customs due to discrepancies in the documentation or any other irregularity, all costs and responsibilities are on account of the owner of the goods.

Importers and exporters must complete an authorization, Power of Attonery (POA) in favor of the customs agent who will manage this commercial movement. In addition, you must have a Customs Bond, or guarantee, which can be single bond if it is per operation or continous bond for unlimited operations within one year. Anyways, LA LUNA shipping manages all the necessary procedures that you will need.

Keep customs clearance in mind before shipping

Yes, it is important to have the customs regulations in mind as a procedure when preparing your shipments. We are attentive to the content that you declare to avoid any incidents.

When preparing a package you should look for information of what you can or cannot send and what specific documents and permissions do you need for any of them. We will always advise you. But so that you know the main restrictions, here is the list:

• Paints, enamels, fuels, gases, aerosols, and sprays
• Pyrotechnic materials
• Weapons and ammunition
• Temperature controlled products
• Alcoholic drinks
• Tobacco
• Food without packaging or labelling
• Animal and plant origin articles
• Medicines

These goods are restricted or prohibited in shipments between individuals. In some cases, they can be done as long as you have the corresponding permissions.

For business shipping, these items mentioned above require specific certificates. LA LUNA shipping® will offer you in this case all the advice you need for the passage of these merchandise through United States customs.

Customs clearance in the United States: our services

LA LUNA shipping® offers an integrated customs service on all transport services that requires it. Unifying in this way the management of the entire process of both transportation and customs management, providing greater guarantee and control throughout the export/import process.

Our customs department offers the following services to and from the United States:

• Customs clearance of exports and imports
• Transits
• Assistance in commodity inspections carried out by the Customs Department
• Power of Attorney management assistance
• Assistance in the management of Customs Bond (Single or Continuous)
• Assistance in completing the different CBP forms.

We cover most of the needs that as an individual or business you may need when having to prepare customs procedures in the United States. In the event of complex operations, our agents in the United States are always prepared to offer the necessary assistance. It is a service that is included in any of our shipments to or from the United States, whether is an express parcel, air or sea freight.

If the importer has his own customs agent or the incoterm used requires that the clearance has to be done by the customs agent of the importer, we coordinate with this agent so that the shipment doesn’t delay.

If you have any questions or want more information, at LA LUNA shipping® we will be happy to help you with everything related to customs clearance in the United States as well as different transportation options. You can contact us at info@laluna.coop or by calling one of our customer service phone numbers.