A container is held at a US port for a short list of reasons, and almost none of them are exotic. The paperwork below is the difference between a routine release and a week of storage.

The four documents that travel with every entry

  • Commercial invoice — real unit prices, the Incoterm, the country of origin and a description a customs officer can classify
  • Packing list — pieces, carton dimensions, gross and net weight, marks that match the cartons
  • Transport document — bill of lading or air waybill, with the consignee matching the importer of record
  • Entry data — classification, value, duty calculation and the importer's bond details, filed by the broker

ISF is filed before the vessel loads

The Importer Security Filing (ISF, often called 10+2) must reach US Customs before the cargo is loaded at the foreign port. It needs the seller, buyer, consignee, manufacturer, ship-to party, country of origin, commodity code, container stuffing location and consolidator.

Missing or late filings can attract liquidated damages, and the practical cost is usually worse than the penalty: the carrier may refuse to load, and the shipment waits a full sailing.

Bond and importer of record

An importer needs a customs bond before the first entry: a single-entry bond for a one-off shipment, or a continuous bond if you import regularly. A foreign company can import into the US, but it needs a US-resident agent and an EIN, which is one more reason DDP arrangements are common for first-time sellers.

Commodity-specific paperwork

  • Food, cosmetics, drugs and medical devices: FDA registration and prior notice
  • Wireless and radio equipment: FCC authorisation details
  • Chemicals and some consumer products: EPA or TSCA declarations
  • Wood packaging: ISPM 15 treatment marks, checked at the pallet, not at the invoice
  • Textiles and apparel: correct fibre content, country of origin and manufacturer identification

Small errors that hold cargo

  • An invoice that says samples or gift instead of describing the goods and the transaction
  • A packing list copied from the previous order, with the old carton count
  • Missing country-of-origin marking on the product or retail packaging
  • Wooden pallets without a visible ISPM 15 stamp
  • A consignee name that does not match the importer of record exactly

If you ship DDP, the entry is prepared by the forwarder's side. Ask to see the classification and the duty estimate before the cargo sails; a correction after arrival is slower and more expensive than a question before departure.