As an international customer you have often wondered the same thing, how long can customs hold my package and what can I do about it? Now that’s a question that cannot be answered with one simple formula because there are so many factors to consider when answering this.
With the increase in internet shopping, you have become accustomed to getting packages on a frequent basis.
What if some of your packages have been lost? How long can customs be holding on to them? If this has happened, what would be the best way to handle the situation? Do you need some lawyer’s assistance to help you out or not? Let’s talk about that
CUSTOM REGULATIONS CAN BE REAL HEADACHES
When orders are urgent, and you need your package now, things can get complicated.
Customs regulations vary from country to country. In some countries, it usually takes a few days to get an import permit. In others, like the US, you can usually get an import permit on the same day. But sometimes customs are overwhelmed. Sometimes it takes too long to get an import permit, so the package is stuck. Sometimes customs do an “audit”; they inspect everything. Sometimes they just hold your package and decline to release it.
What can you do?
If you are in a hurry, ask customs to expedite the process.
If you are stuck, ask customs to release the package. If customs won’t release your package, tell them what you need it for and that you have paid the import duties.
If Customs is holding your package, ask them for the reason. Customs is required to issue a Detention Notice within 10 days of holding the shipment. If you call them, they will probably tell you as well, but if they won’t, write them a letter.
CUSTOM ISSUES YOUR PARCEL CAN FACE
1: Custom Exams
Sometimes random customs checks occur. And when they do, the consequences can be serious for your business. The company that declared the goods decides whether or not to pay any resulting duties and taxes. In many cases, they pass the responsibility on to the consignee—meaning you could be responsible for payments on goods you never received.
What’s more, even if you receive your shipment in full, should the shipping company have made a mistake on the shipping documents, that mistake might affect future shipments to or from your company.
2: Custom Clearance Problems
Customs clearance is an annoyingly complicated business. It’s too important to leave to amateurs, but too important to be left to businesspeople. You try to make a compact between people who think a lot about taxes and people who think a lot about shipping.
At one extreme, you are shipping out expensive equipment, and you want the customs officials to look the other way. At the other extreme, you are shipping out cheap consumer goods, and you want the customs officials to skim all the money off the top. Those extremes both work, but they are unpleasant.
3: Delay Shipping Time
Customs is the great big monster that eats up the shipping time.
Customs deals with every shipment made in the United States. That means every shipment that leaves a factory or a warehouse or an airport or a dock.
Customs checks the shipment to make sure it isn’t bringing in illegal drugs or anything the government doesn’t want. It also checks to make sure the shipping papers are in order. Customs also checks to make sure that the box hasn’t been opened yet. (Sometimes people open boxes and then try to say they are shipping the contents, not the package.)
Customs takes the responsibility. Shipping companies rarely do. Some companies might send people to their office to check a shipment, but when the shipping company is shipping 10 or 100 or 1,000 shipments a day, people can’t always be there.
4: Missing Duties, Taxes, And Paperwork
You can’t just pull into the port of entry and declare your cargo. There are specific rules and regulations about what is allowed to be imported, and they must be followed.
The risk of shipping internationally can be high, and many factors can play a role in determining if your package will make it to its final destination. Many items purchased online are fragile, large, or heavy, and can be a problem when shipping internationally.
Based on these risk factors, shipping a package internationally can be a difficult process, and it is important to be aware of the regulations, additional fees, and possible issues that can arise when shipping internationally.
It’s important for buyers to understand these regulations before they decide to ship internationally and to be aware that the regulations are subject to change.
HOW TO AVOID ALL OF THESE UNWANTED SITUATIONS?
Sending a parcel and then getting it held by the customs is a real pain. Nobody would ever want to face this horrible situation. It involves a lot of knowledge of the law to get your parcel out in the first place or to send it correctly. You must know the rules and regulations of that country to which you are sending a parcel too. Along with this, you must also know that if the thing you are sending to another country is allowed or not.
In order to avoid that you should check out our law firms that assist clients in highlighting all of these situations and laws and how you can send your parcel to the respective country without facing any problem.
Our well-dedicated lawyers know the bits and bytes of the customs system and can give you consultation and assistance in your respective issue and will try their best to immediately help you because we believe that these issues are way too much complicated for a layman to understand and without understanding them you just can face many problems. Contact with us here: Customs Attorney and International Trade Attorney | Abady Law Firm (customsesq.com)
