Customs will notify the broker and a change to the entry will be made This may happen when information keyed into the entry does not match up exactly with the shipments paperwork. There are a number of reasons a shipment can be rejected: The process can take anywhere from 12-48 hours and even longer during high traffic periods.Ĭustoms releases are also not guaranteed. Generally, Customs officers will visit multiple sites during the day and process their releases in the afternoon. If your shipment is inspected, it will be placed in a bonded warehouse and inspected by Customs officers at their earliest convenience. There is however, the possibility that prior to its release, your shipment may be Held for inspection. Now that your entry has been received by the CBSA, it is now up to an officer to review the entry and either accept or reject the shipment – This step of course can take anywhere from just a few minutes to a few hours depending on the number of Customs staff available and congestion at the port of crossing. Once your Customs Broker has completed your entry for customs and transmits the data, it takes about 20 minutes for the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to receive it. The customs release of a shipment can take anywhere from 20 minutes to several days depending on circumstances. Fortunately, the postal system is great when it comes to customs – your shipment will be automatically cleared and released, you just need to wait and pay any payable taxes if you’re approached, it is a very easy process but also very slow. Sometimes the package tracking can be inaccurate, packages can disappear somewhere and reappear elsewhere, hold on, it will come. Keeping calm is part of the battle, try not to stress too much about the delays, your shipment will come eventually. Your shipment will come eventually, but it might take some time. If your shipment is sent via the postal system, waiting is often the best option, as tracking is notoriously unreliable and often it’s better to just relax. There is little that can be done to stop or speed up these random checks and attempts to such may just be a waste of time. Often, shipments are held up in customs to check that the contents of the package and the value of the goods were declared accurately. Unfortunately if you have chosen to use a slower form of shipping such as airmail, in many countries customs is a slow and stressful process. Incorrect paperwork can cause considerable customs headaches, make sure your documents are in order and aren’t in the wrong language or alphabet.įinally, just wait. Even simple mistakes like the seller forgetting to attach an invoice or CN22 customs form can cause significant delays to your shipment.

Depending on the size and value of your shipment, the documentation required may vary. Missing paperwork is one of the most common reasons for delays in shipping. If your products have high commercial value, like for example, in the US, items whose value is worth over $2500 you will require a customs broker will arrange for the taxes to be paid and for the shipment to be released from customs.Įnsure there is no missing or incorrect paperwork. If you use a standard express shipper or the postal service they will pay the tax for you (DDU), clearing your goods through customs.

Many countries impose taxes on shipments over a certain value, if these taxes are payable on your shipment it will be held until the outstanding balance is paid. Contacting the shipper will help you to identify if there is anything you can do to speed up your shipments time in customs.įind out if there are outstanding taxes you owe to pay. Second option is to contact your carrier, but please ensure that your shipment is actually stuck in customs. Your seller will be able to contact the shipper and get more information concerning your shipment and the problems faced. Find out what is happening with the shipment by contacting seller and if they missed out any of the important documentation required to smoothly move your shipment over the border. The shipping company often will only talk to the seller about the shipment. If you think you have a shipment stuck in customs your first action should be to contact the seller who has shipped your goods. There are many reasons why a shipment might be stuck at customs, these reasons can differ in severity from high (your goods are prohibited) to low (having the incorrect paperwork).

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