Clearing your belongings through customs in the USA

hi

i dont know if you are talking about a big conteiner or just few bags, i never had problems because i just moved with bags, didnt took any time, just the regular lines, one day can be in minutes, some days there is more people can be one or two hours, the is not procedures if you move with regular stuff, the restrictions is the common ones, no drugs, guns, animals, some foods, https://www.cbp.gov/travel/us-citizens/ … cted-items

good luck!

Hello.
I have travel extensively and can honestly say the the US customs are the easiest experience I have had.
1 Have your documents required by the US

2 be specific when itemizing and describing your belongings, including materials, metals, quantity and estimated value.

3 Prescriptions, have a copy of your scripts

4 As far as my knowledge, food is not allowed for obvious reasons.

Again, you can make it an easy and quick by helping the customs.

Hope this has helped and wishing you a safe trip.

Farida

When bringing a pet dog, not all airlines and airports are the same. Singapore for example may require a quarantine, whereas Japan may not if you are transiting and not changing airports. Not all airlines are equipped to carry pets...so that they arrive alive... For example, Chicago could not handle pets, but Los Angeles can. The type of aircraft within the USA also matters. Some flights from Los Angeles can handle pets and are pet certified, but others can not as the animals will freeze.   As for vaccinations, the vaccinations for pets need to be current. There is a test to check that the animal has the appropriate immune response for rabies antibodies, meaning that the dog has been properly vaccinated. The best vaccines are those that the vet has hand carried refrigerated from the USA for that pet and vaccinated in your country.  The airline charges may differ than what you were told by your US carrier. For example Japan Airlines charges $400 from Ho Chi Minh City to Tokyo in addition to the charges from American or other airline from Tokyo to the USA.  If the pet is in a kennel, get a large enough kennel approved by the Vet for international travel.. it allows the dog to sit up, and has a water bottle and food dish attached. The cost to ship my pet dog as checked baggage was about $1,000 USD.

..About meat products... no meat products from Asia are allowed except Australia and a few other countries.  Some dried, commerically packaged fruits are permitted. Coffee may be permitted in a sealed package as long as it is not to a coffee growing area such as Hawaii.  If in doubt, declare it. Declare all food of any type... Agricultural Inspectors will thank you for it. Dried shrimp in a sealed package and snacks count as food .... one customs inspector asked a visitor " Are you going to eat it"  to bring clarity that it is FOOD. 

If you are bringing a suitcase full of coffee as samples, be sure to get USDA agricultural clearance... just in case. Typically, roasted coffee is okay. Green coffee may have more questions. but is also often okay... except for Hawaii. Basically if that type food  is grown in the USA, it is not permitted due to possible contamination to the US food supply, the exception being commercially packaged food, which is handled case by case basis.

Salt, and baking soda will set of the security alarm so if you are packing salt or baking soda, be ready to go through secondary inspection.

Ground coffee is used to transport cocaine as the coffee hides the cocaine smell... therefore be ready to go to secondary if you are carrying ground coffee.

kwallace wrote:

When bringing a pet dog, not all airlines and airports are the same. Singapore for example may require a quarantine, whereas Japan may not if you are transiting and not changing airports. Not all airlines are equipped to carry pets...so that they arrive alive... For example, Chicago could not handle pets, but Los Angeles can. The type of aircraft within the USA also matters. Some flights from Los Angeles can handle pets and are pet certified, but others can not as the animals will freeze.   As for vaccinations, the vaccinations for pets need to be current. There is a test to check that the animal has the appropriate immune response for rabies antibodies, meaning that the dog has been properly vaccinated. The best vaccines are those that the vet has hand carried refrigerated from the USA for that pet and vaccinated in your country.  The airline charges may differ than what you were told by your US carrier. For example Japan Airlines charges $400 from Ho Chi Minh City to Tokyo in addition to the charges from American or other airline from Tokyo to the USA.  If the pet is in a kennel, get a large enough kennel approved by the Vet for international travel.. it allows the dog to sit up, and has a water bottle and food dish attached. The cost to ship my pet dog as checked baggage was about $1,000 USD.

..About meat products... no meat products from Asia are allowed except Australia and a few other countries.  Some dried, commerically packaged fruits are permitted. Coffee may be permitted in a sealed package as long as it is not to a coffee growing area such as Hawaii.  If in doubt, declare it. Declare all food of any type... Agricultural Inspectors will thank you for it. Dried shrimp in a sealed package and snacks count as food .... one customs inspector asked a visitor " Are you going to eat it"  to bring clarity that it is FOOD. 

If you are bringing a suitcase full of coffee as samples, be sure to get USDA agricultural clearance... just in case. Typically, roasted coffee is okay. Green coffee may have more questions. but is also often okay... except for Hawaii. Basically if that type food  is grown in the USA, it is not permitted due to possible contamination to the US food supply, the exception being commercially packaged food, which is handled case by case basis.

Salt, and baking soda will set of the security alarm so if you are packing salt or baking soda, be ready to go through secondary inspection.

Ground coffee is used to transport cocaine as the coffee hides the cocaine smell... therefore be ready to go to secondary if you are carrying ground coffee.

Sorry but most this is hog wash.

Shipping household goods with an international shipper:
You will get detailed instructions on what can and will be packed. Household goods are not charged import tax.

Shipping household goods yourself:
You may find that you need a licensed customs agent which is not necessarily inexpensive.

Shipping vehicles:
Depending on your legal status you drive a vehicle up to one year on its original plates/registration provided you have insurance coverage. Converting it to US specs - look into it before committing to shipping.

On board personal belongings:
Every airline has details out on what is not permisable including tax free limited. Coffee, alcohol, most food items but raw meat, some cheeses, foi gras, caviar, ... are permisable within certain limits. No parts of protected animal species, ..... . Read up on it. When it comes to luxury items - receipts are helpful.

Pets
Every airline has specific requirements as far as cages and time frames are concerned. Time of the year as in outside temperatures is also a factory. The airline will also confirm current requirements as far as vaccinations and pet passports are concerned. Check into this early on as slots are very limited. You can always use a commercial animal shipper.

The key is working out the correct Harmonization code - essentially if the code says it is personal belongings that are not for resale then it should be simple.

Bags through customs is very easy.

As far as pets. We brought our dog in the cabin.  As far as vaccination a certificate from the vet was sufficient for customs. We needed a statement from the vet attesting to health.  Requirements to leave from Brazil was more paperwork than US Customs required.

Jim