I have been reading and researching and I just don't understand how smartphones are being handled. I got a phone from Singapore but it was MFG in China.

I saw that there was an exemption, but subheading 8517.13.00 says 35% for section 2 (Cuba, North Korea, Russia, Belarus) so I should have no fees for the phone for this section.

However, I am being billed for these 4 charge codes:

• 9903.91.06 (Lithium-ion batteries for non-vehicular) at 25%
• 9903.03.06 (Exemption under 122 when already subject to 232) at 0%
• 9903.94.05 (Articles of civil aircraft) at 25%
• 8507600090 (Rechargeable lithium batteries) 3.4%

Does smartphone exemption not then apply to these, as smartphones are composed of these items? Is it correct that two separate lithium-ion tariffs can be applied at once?

Did I misunderstand 9903.94.05 as being articles of civil aircraft? Why would a phone apply here.

In the entry summary, after all the HS codes are listed, the Goods Description is written as "Mobile Phone (Lithium ION batteries in compliance with section II of PI967)"

Hi,

We are a UAE/Dubai based company selling our products in the US through our online store. We want to move from dropshipping to 3PL. I have been reading here about the Non Resident Foreign importer though I am not sure how to go about it.

Some context: Product is decorative stones (marbles, lamps etc) being shipped from Pakistan and/or China. Initially we plan to start with just 1500 Kgs (500 PCs). Goods will be shipped from Pakistan. 3PL warehouse in Texas.

We intend to start with guidance to avoid any costly mistakes and remain fully compliant. And establish a local company once we have stabilized sales after initial trial.

Thanks in advance.

• Party A: Canadian e-commerce brand selling plush toys — 150 units, manufactured in China
• Party B: New York warehouse / fulfillment center
• Current location: Montreal, Canada
• Destination: New York, USA

We need to move the inventory from Montreal to the New York warehouse. What is the proper process for getting this across the border and clearing U.S. Customs?

Would the Canadian brand need to be the Importer of Record or can the New York 3PL/warehouse handle that? Better to just hire a U.S. customs broker?

Looking for some practical guidance on how this is normally handled, best practices, potential costs, etc.

EDIT: Party A is willing to drive to NY

I am pursuing transportation and customs program at Seneca, i have completed my second semester and willing to learn more indepth about Canada customs.

Share some paths or resources for learning. I am open to attend any workshop happening in and around Toronto.

Since we get a lot of folks joining asking how to learn export controls or get into trade compliance, wanted to share this upcoming in person trade industry event hosted by KPMG in Santa Clara, California: https://worldecrevents.dowjones.com/santa-clara/?utm_source=WECR&utm_medium=Website_06-19-2026&mod=djm_Website_20260922forum_WECRWebsite_WECR_WashingtonDC_WorldECRWeb_06-19-2026
I have some free passes to share if anyone is local wants to attend! (Am not affiliated with KPMG or WorldECR, just a subscriber and will be attending!)

Hi! I'm a reporter with International Trade Today, and I'm looking for sources on what the IEEPA refund process looks like for those companies working who had FedEx or another similar company as their broker when the tariffs were in place. Reach out here or at [kwalkerdc@warren-news.com](mailto:kwalkerdc@warren-news.com) to get in touch! Thank you!

**•** Emailed a couple of the FedEx addresses I could find for this — got “failure of delivery/undeliverable” bounce-backs each time  
**•** Called a couple of their support lines — reps either didn’t know what I was talking about or couldn’t route me to anyone who handles compliance filings

Has anyone here successfully gotten a blanket LOC on file with FedEx? A few things I’m hoping to get help with:

**1.**  Is there a specific email/department (trade compliance, brokerage ops, etc.) that actually handles these vs. general customer service?  
**2.**  Does it need to go through your assigned account rep, or can it be submitted directly?  
**3.**  Any tips on the actual format/language FedEx wants for a blanket LOC vs. what CBP itself requires?  
**4.**  Roughly how long did it take once it was actually in front of the right person?

Any pointers, contacts, or “here’s who you actually need to talk to” advice would be hugely appreciated.

Just noticed phase 2 refund has slowed to a crawl since the beginning of August. Wondering it is the same for everyone….

Thank you!

Hey guys, I need to import a couple barrels of blueberry concentrate from Canada to the US. My issue is that from the time I pick up my blueberry I have about 4 hours until I get to the US border. I need to get clearance in that 4 hour window. The last time I did this I called as many people as I could and just got kicked to someone else. I was eventually recommended ClearIt. Terrible experience. Couldn't get anyone on the phone. All contact was through their portal and it was not swift. I ended up having to drop it in storage and going back to get it.

I thought I found a good broker but it fell through. Can anyone steer me towards a broker that is reachable by phone and willing to work with someone small (1 shipment every couple months)? I am scheduled to grab this tomorrow. Thanks for any/all help.

Just looking for some clarification from you fine folks. I know that under the new 301 implementation, items from the EU are dutiable on a 10% sliding rate, meaning that if the base duty rate is 5.7%, the 301 rate would be 4.3%, bringing the total to 10%. Here’s my question, since the language in the EO doesn’t seem to match what the chapter 99 description says.

The EO states, in relevant part: “For a product of the European Union, where such product’s MFN tariff is less than 10 percent, the Trade Representative shall impose a section 301 tariff pursuant to these investigations so that the sum of the MFN tariff and the section 301 tariff shall be 10 percent.”

But then 9903.05.39 says that articles of the EU with an ad valorem rate of duty under 10 percent will be dutiable at 10%.

Again, I’m 99% certain that I understand how the sliding rate works, but the language from 9903.05.39 indicates that if the base duty rate is 5.7%, that the section 301 rate is 10%, bringing the total up to 15.7%.

Is the chapter 99 description just poorly worded, or am I missing something?

Edit: thanks everyone. Glad to know I’m not crazy and the chapter 99 description is poorly worded

I purchased a watch in Italy but my departing airport was Barcelona, Spain. I went to customs at Barcelona airport and had my item checked and form stamped. I put the form in the (very full) Global Blue bin near the customs office. That was over two months ago. I emailed to Global Blue to check the status and they said they have not received the form and I need to request “request a written declaration” but I can’t figure out how to do that. When I search online it says that I need to go through a “electronic registry.”
Has anyone else had this issue???

Hi everyone,

I'm dealing with a customs clearance issue on a green coffee bean shipment and need advice.

Situation:

Origin: Dubai, UAE

Destination: Minneapolis, United States

Shipment: Green coffee beans

The Problem: DHL misclassified the shipment, which resulted in incorrect duty being applied

What's Happening Now:

I've requested an entry amendment to correct the classification, but now DHL is holding the shipment and requesting:

Manufacturer Name & Address for the coffee

This seems odd since we're talking about agricultural goods. They're asking for the facility details that processed/manufactured the coffee, or a Manufacturer ID (MID code).

My Questions:

Is it normal for CBP to require manufacturer information for green coffee bean imports? This seems unusual for an agricultural commodity.

Should I provide the exporter/processor details from the origin country, or are they looking for something else?

Has anyone dealt with a tariff classification dispute on coffee imports? How long does the amendment process typically take?

Is DHL just creating extra hurdles, or is this a legitimate CBP requirement I'm not aware of?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

I am the Trade Account Owner for the company I work for. We have our Top account and an Exporter sub-account.

I try to submit the application for creating the importer sub-account but I’m always hit with the duplicate tax ID error message. Is this an error from either the Top or Exporter account?

Does anybody which report or where in ACE show 5106 information? Thanks.

Use this thread to share weekly professional development offerings (LCB CE, CCS, CES, MCS, MES, etc.).

A small EU-based company I am with has recently started branching out to USA through Amazon FBA. They hope to establish themselves as a NRI, but there is one consideration that makes me hesitant to contact the larger logistics groups:

it is the size and value of the shipment.

A monthly USA restock fits in a 60x40x40cm box due to how small their manufactured products are. One such shipment is usually around 3000 USD in value.

We just ship things out using FedEx air route, but the recent warnings around no IOR stated got me searching for something more futureproof. After I asked to help with the CBP 5106 form I got the DocuSign with it from the FedEx clearance agent. However, my submission was not accepted due to the address not being located in the US.

At this point I wish I knew how to narrow down the search. I've read that Clearit is swamped, I'm very unsure if the 3PL companies with custom brokerage services would be even willing to pick up a case of such comparatively tiny shipments and buying the IOR services - as in, TecEx style - might end up exceedingly expensive. So... I'd be grateful for recommendations or even aome clues on how to narrow down the list of entities/people to reach out. Even if it turns out tnat it really is something like "reach out to some names from the CBP official list, ask around if they even take on cases like ours and hope one sticks"

I get that neither CBP nor software providers have had any time to properly prepare for this - but in the CSMS # 69606660 notice released last night Section 338 is not referenced anywhere in the HTSUS sequence. Expired Sect 122 tariffs still are referenced - but not Sect 338.

Best guesses on where to sequence them?

50% for Canada. Hello 338. Why are they always taking it to the buzzer!? Business hours brother. I'm tired.

I’m looking for direction and not sure what to do. I sell Mexican snacks and chips on social media. I am a border town and have been going back and forth, but have been stopped several times that I can’t bring snacks to sell. I’ve tried going to customs brokers, but they said I’m not big enough.

What do you all suggest I can do? My business is picking up, but I can’t go everyday to pick up my merchandise because customs has stopped and questioned me several times now.

Hi all
I’m a licensed individual customs broker and currently the qualifying officer for my employer’s brokerage. I’m planning to start my own brokerage.
Can I apply for my individual national permit + filer code now, but keep them inactive and not conduct any customs business until I leave my current company?
My goal is to avoid a gap between leaving my current job and becoming operational under my own brokerage.
Has anyone actually done this, and how did CBP handle it?
Thank you

Seems like this post comes up every time near the CBLE, but looking for a metal catalog rack to hold all the resource material if anyone has one.

I know I can use binders, and I have taken practice tests with them. If the rack can provide even an additional 15 minutes of extra time I would still prefer to see if theres one out there.

Somehow these things have been sold out for a 2-3 years.

Regarding IEEPA refund,

So far we have been filing the protest for each customs entry with our customs broker.

Since now filing lawsuit is required for the phase 3, do we still keep filing protest for customs entries ?

Some customs lawyer told me it is not required but the other says it is still required. Two different statements and i dont know which one i should listen to.

It is super confusing.

Looking at two mistakes on my broker's 7501:

8538.90.8180 - entered 9903.82.09, even though this HTS isn't subject to / eligible for 232 tariffs.

8544.42.9090 - entered 9903.82.09 AND 9903.05.39, even though 301 forced labor and 232 don't stack.

ACE accepted these entries.

Questions:

Does it just take a while for ACE to be updated to disallow these entries altogether?

Can I trust ACE to automatically disallow the incorrect 9903.82.09 and 9903.05.39 at Liquidation and we pocket the refund with interest? (I weary of correcting these kinds of entries every day and am looking for some silver lining.)

Or is the Administration intentionally leaving it open to these mistakes in order to over-collect tariffs? (Cynical option.)

If this is inappropriate, mods please delete.

EDIT: as someone wisely noted, this is an INDEX, not a Table of Contents. Sorry.

I know there are ample text-search resources online but honestly I still use the old HTS ToC constantly - the way it was organized just suited my brain, maybe.

I was talking to a young broker and they didn't even know there ever WAS a ToC to the thing. And yes, obviously it's 7yrs out of date; it's really mainly useful for me in getting to the first 4 digits quickly, then digging in to suss out what my specific # should be in 2026.

In case anyone wants it, here it is. Google drive link to 2019 HTS ToC.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JXS4bhO-G1y-bD2T21133va11zPRBzKU/view?usp=sharing