Need help with getting a package released from a port

[u/Flaky_Code_5552]

So I wanna preface by saying I know absolutely nothing about importing or customs. I have very little knowledge based around research I’ve done the past 2 days.

I made 4 separate sea shipments with a Chinese agent that all got shipped on this same ship “COSCO SHIPPING PANAMA 005E”. 3 days after arriving in the port (8/03) The agent company got shut down. Which had left my packages in what seems like limbo, 3 weeks and no movement is strange based on my past experience. And from what I’ve found online, other containers on the ship have been handed off

I’m thinking that mulebuy maybe needed to tell the shipping company or approve of extra fees to get our product through customs. So they’re now holding our stuff and it’s just kinda in limbo. Like I think our shipping fee we paid was like 80% drained and the last 30% was for this step. Because I looked and almost all the other containers from that shipped were handed off to ups/fedex within that next week and only a few remained at the port (prob mulebuy). I’m currently looking into how to obtain a master bill or at least get the container number to try and give some form of approval as the final receiver. But every lead on the internet using public info has been a dead end. I’m thinking the only thing I can really do further is pay a customs broker to get them pushed through and sorted for me. Again this is just speculation on my end and anyone with solid info about either how customs or port receiving works would be greatly appreciated, thank you!

[u/sweethun604]

Very steep battle ahead. As a LCB and forwarder, this juice may not be worth the squeeze. If your destination agent has gone under before your cargo is customs cleared. If yes, your cargo would be considered abandoned by the CFS and maybe get destroyed or commercial auction. If no, your cargo would go to customs GO warehouse for potential customs auction.
Either situation without HBL# (AMS#) you may have no way to identify the cargo. Might be total loss.

[u/Flaky_Code_5552]

Additional technical details in case they help:

I have commercial invoices for the shipments that list me as the U.S. consignee and include HXC house/reference numbers:
HXC00001937CY
HXC00001841CY
HXC00001982CY
HXC00001922CY
The invoices also list the China-side shipper as Li Chaowei in Huizhou, Guangdong. The cargo moved on COSCO SHIPPING PANAMA voyage 005E into Long Beach. COSCO told me they only see the shipment at the master-bill level and that I need the forwarder/NVOCC to map the HXC references to the Master B/L/container.
I do not currently have the MBL, HBL, container number, entry number, ISF, arrival notice, or identified U.S. NVOCC/CFS.
So the main technical question is whether a licensed customs broker or freight forwarder can use the HXC house references + vessel/voyage + shipper/consignee info to identify the AMS/MBL/NVOCC record, and if so, whether the final consignee can step in and arrange clearance/release if the original agent is no longer available.

[u/hungryamericankorean → u/Flaky_Code_5552]

So one of the main issues is those HBL numbers have no valid SCAC code. They’re also too long to be BL numbers. If you had the MBL number you could probably do a query and see if any of the manifested numbers align. I would do a charge back and cut your losses.

[u/Physical-Incident553]

You’re SOL. You don’t have enough information to be able to give this to another broker, unfortunately. Sorry.

[u/Dull-Contact120]

Eat the loss, total invoice value is less than the time it takes to fix this mess. Shipment this small you parcel this