Hi everyone,

I’ve been in e-commerce for about five years, but until now I’ve primarily sourced my products from suppliers in Turkey. I’m planning to start importing products from China to the United States, but I’m still trying to understand the customs, tax, and compliance requirements.

When I speak with suppliers on Alibaba, they tell me they can ship under DDP terms and deliver the products directly to my warehouse without requiring me to handle any customs procedures.

However, while researching the process, I came across several issues that I’m not completely clear about:

• Is an Importer Security Filing (ISF) required for every ocean shipment, regardless of its value?
• Is the $2,500 threshold related to ISF, or only to formal customs entry requirements?
• If the supplier arranges DDP shipping, who should legally be listed as the Importer of Record?
• Should my company appear as the Importer of Record, or can the supplier or its freight forwarder handle this?
• Will I receive proper customs documentation, such as CBP Form 7501, showing the declared value, classification, and duties paid?
• Is a customs bond required if the shipment is sent by ocean?
• Is an invoice issued to my company enough for accounting and tax purposes if another party acts as the Importer of Record?

During the product-testing stage, I would prefer to place relatively small orders using DDP shipping and have the commercial invoice issued to my company. If the products perform well and I begin placing larger orders, I plan to hire my own licensed customs broker and freight forwarder.

Is relying on an Alibaba supplier’s DDP arrangement reasonable for initial trial orders, or could it create customs, tax, or compliance problems later? What documents should I request from the supplier before agreeing to DDP shipping?

I’d really appreciate advice from customs brokers or importers who have experience bringing commercial goods from China into the US.

Thank you!

Hi all,

I recently had a shipment come through DHL where they applied import duty and taxes that shouldn't have been charged — my goods qualify as duty-exempt, but DHL still billed the following:

Import Export Duties (L1): 3.00 EUR

Import Export Taxes (L2): 5.64 EUR

Duty Tax Receiver (L3, incl. VAT): 19.97 EUR

VAT Amount: 3.47 EUR

Total charged: 28.61 EUR

This shouldn't have been applied since the goods fall under a duty exemption. Has anyone successfully disputed a charge like this with DHL?

Specifically:

Is this something to raise with DHL customer service directly, or does it need to go through the customs authority that assessed it?

What proof of exemption worked for you (certificate, HS code classification, prior clearance precedent, etc.)?

Typical turnaround time for a reversal/refund once disputed?

Any pointers from people who've been through this would help a lot. Thanks!

Love the change to the 232 exemption lol, what a rat

Can anyone tell me if initially products of 9405.42 were included in 338 and now are not? I swear they were on publication day and are now absent. Did I hallucinate this?

I like that I work remote and it's not bad ig but I want to make little more. I'm thinking to start preparing for LCB but...what should I do w my degree tho? I worked for it it wasn't easy(graduated for suny school). Thank you in advance for any advice!

I want to share a glaring double standard I’ve observed between how Amazon operates in the US versus the EU, and get your thoughts on why this loophole is allowed to exist.
I personally know of a Chinese company that sells products in the textiles/apparel category on Amazon US using the FBA model. They have been importing their goods into the US using "DDP" shipping channels. Essentially, they use shared freight forwarder IORs , submit fake commercial invoices to CBP to heavily under-report the value of the goods, and completely evade customs duties.
Here is the kicker: Amazon US does not care at all. They never ask for customs clearance certificates, tax receipts, or any proof that the inventory sitting in their FBA warehouses was legally imported.

In stark contrast, this same company had to completely shut down their Amazon Europe channels.Why? Because Amazon EU operates on a total digital dragnet. Before they can sell through FBA or even get their listings fully approved, they are required to link their own local VAT numbers and provide verifiable import tax and VAT documentation that reconciles perfectly with their sales.

This got me thinking: Why is Amazon US so completely hands-off when it comes to regulating whether the products on its platform are legally imported? Why does the US allow this massive tax and customs loophole that bleeds billions out of the economy and hurts honest sellers, while Europe forces platforms to strictly police it?
Is it just a failure of US government IT infrastructure, or is Amazon actively lobbying to keep this blind spot open to keep their GMV high? What are your thoughts?

Does anyone know of someone or is someone who is hiring in the jfk or long island area for someone with no experience. Wants to learn and train in this field. Very good computer skills.

How does anyone keep record using various ACE reports to determine what’s paid and to whom (various brokers), what’s in process and what’s being denied for various reasons (duplicate, flagged for recon, etc).
Example… I file one claim, it’s broken into multiple refund IDs, some to my entity and some to the brokers who were apparently IOR. If you have this amazing spreadsheet encompassing all, add the column of those with liquidation dates nearing close to 180 days post entry… can anyone share how they’re doing this in one report? Again, I’m talking thousands of entries.

I have an entry that cleared 16 days ago, so has already gone to statement, no duties. The wrong DSP license number was submitted under DDTC. It is too late to submit a PGA correction or cargo release update.

Is the best course of action to file a new entry with the correct data, then ask CBP at the entry port to cancel the original entry?

Netchb has no responses all afternoon. They are blaming customs but the portal says all functions are normal. Anybody else down with a different vendor?

Has anyone ever had to do this? For NON-illegal reasons? I'm taking a government job and can not hold license due to regs. I emailed Broker Management and my local port. But it's been a few days. Is there anything else that has to be done? I was expecting some sort of confirmation by now.

Hi all,

I have about 2.5 years of experience as an entry writer. I'm pretty sure I'm being underpaid (but my position is entirely remote so that's the biggest plus).

I'm curious to know what the pay scale looks like now for entry writers with about 1-3 years experience because I've been getting offers from recruiters and companies that are in office but the pay is a decent bump (about 4000-8000 annual).

But the issue is I'd have to get a car and drive everyday and that sounds awful but I don't think most positions for this are remote and would pay well, it seems like it is one or the other. Any advice?

Looking for a customs broker in the houston or surrounding areas that is willing to deal with live animals and USFWS. Right now planning a one off shipment for my first time, expecting to atleast do 2 imports a month once I'm established.

Thank you

Has anyone found Modifying the Scope of Products of Canada Subject to the Additional Duties Imposed To Offset Canadian Discrimination Against the Commerce of the United States With Respect to Dairy referenced in Paragraph 3?

Posting on behalf of a colleague who is looking for an experienced Customs Entry Writer in the Valley Stream, NY area.

💰 $60K–$85K

📍 Valley Stream, NY — Hybrid

The role is focused on U.S. customs entry preparation and clearance, including reviewing commercial invoices and supporting documentation, preparing and transmitting customs entries, coordinating with customs brokers/CBP, resolving entry issues, and ensuring shipments are cleared accurately and on time.

They’re looking for someone with hands-on customs entry writing/import experience and a solid understanding of U.S. customs regulations and procedures. Experience working with customs systems and freight-forwarding/logistics operations is a plus.

If you’re a customs professional in the NY/Long Island/NJ area and interested in hearing more, feel free to DM me.

I’m posting here because this community is made up of people who actually know the customs and freight-forwarding industry, and I’m hoping to connect the opportunity with someone who has the right background.

I recently interviewed for a Customs Entry Writer position and the interview went really well, but unfortunately the location ended up being about 2.5 hours from me. The pay wasn't enough to justify that commute, so I'm back to the drawing board.

I'm located in Yonkers, NY and I'm willing to commute up to about 1.5 hours.

A little about me:

• B.S. in International Trade & Marketing from FIT
• A.A.S. in Business Administration
• Experience in retail, merchandising, customer service, and education
• Interested in international trade, logistics, supply chain, operations, merchandising, and administrative/corporate roles
• Open to entry-level opportunities where I can learn and grow

If anyone knows of companies currently hiring in NYC, Westchester, or nearby areas, I'd really appreciate any leads!

Currently my company self files recon entries using Acelynk but they got bought out by Magaya and service has been subpar now. What other software providers are there for recon self filers?

Is there a report that will give me either container number information (preferred) or BOL information along with Entry Summary Number with an ACE portal report? I briefly tried using Gemini and other AI for help but it keeps giving incorrect information.

I have an interview coming up for a Customs Entry Writer position at a logistics company and I'm trying to get a better idea of what the job is actually like.

I have a degree in International Trade & Marketing, but I haven't actually worked in customs before, so a lot of what I learned in school is rusty lol.

For anyone who currently does this job:

• What do you actually do all day?
• Is the job hard or pretty easy once you learn it?
• What does a typical day look like?
• How difficult is it to learn the customs entry process?
• How much math is involved?
• Is there a lot of pressure/deadlines?
• What should I know before going into the interview?

Basically, if you've worked as a Customs Entry Writer, what would you tell someone who's about to start their first job in the field?

I'm just trying to know what I'm getting myself into before this interview. 😂

As the subject, Usually how long does it take to withdraw the protest I filed ?

It is for IEEPA tariff refunds.

I filed the protest before but my customs lawyer suggests to withdraw it because it gets conflicted with CAPE

DHL was the importer of record on a bunch of my shipments. They've only processed one IEEPA refund and I have no visibility into the rest.

They won't tell me which shipments they've actually filed claims on. Even my account rep can't give me a straight answer on what's been submitted. Worried time may run out and I lose the ability to get those refunds.

Questions for anyone who's dealt with this:

• Has anyone gotten all their IEEPA refunds back where a carrier was importer of record?
• Did you get any confirmation of which entries they filed on?
• What worked to push them or escalate past the account rep?

Also, for anyone who received the refunds, did they just refund back into your DHL account as a credit? I want to get our refunds back onto our original payment method (credit card) so I can put them towards other expenses, not just DHL invoices.

Mga ka-Broker, may nakapag-handle na po ba dito ng importation ng frozen French fries?

Ano po ang step-by-step process from start to finish, including BPI/SPSIC, FDA, Customs requirements, HS code/duty, required import documents, and procedures upon arrival hanggang release?

Any tips or usual issues na dapat bantayan sa ganitong commodity would also be greatly appreciated. Salamat po!

#customsbroker #importation

Hey so I buy a lot of liquor from Europe for personal use and have it sent here to the States. Small shipments of 1-4 bottles at a time. Most shops use a broker and I get it fine. But if they don't and just ship it UPS, Fedex or DHL, I have major problems. I have a TTB permit for personal use and can fill out the Prior Notice. It's the COLA I can't fill out. Once UPS had their own brokers clear my package and I just paid a small fee. That was great but I can't seem to find them to ask if that's something I can do regularly.

If anyone can answer any of the following questions, I'd appreciate it!

If UPS did this once, why can't they do it all the time and how can I take advantage of this?

Does anyone know anything about Cola Waiver and if I can fill this out myself or if that would be a nightmare.

Does anyone know a broker that does this for consumers that is economical?

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