Importing goods into the United States is not an easy task. Not only is the process taxing, but it comes with a lot of rules and laws to be abided by. While some goods have heavy duties on them, others that come under the FTA (Free Trade Agreement) have negligible rates. On the other hand, some goods are not permitted to enter the commerce of the US, given their country of origin. 

Since the intricacies are inevitable, people often hire highly skilled customs brokers who make the whole process a lot easier. 

We shall thus take a look at a few tips significant for importing into the US.

1. Getting your documents in place

The first advice is to prepare all the documents necessary at the customs clearance. Documents such as the bill of lading, OGD document, and commodity-specific documents are some of the most crucial documents that the importer must get his hands on at the earliest. 

2. Meeting the commodity-specific and ODG requirements

Another significant point is meeting the commodity-specific and ODG requirements, which usually depend on standards such as health standards, safety standards, energy efficiency and so on. While everything that enters the US borders must be properly marked with the country of origin, there are a few types of items that are impossible to mark such as washers or nuts etc. For this purpose, their containers need to be marked with the country of origin. 

3. Payment of duties

Importing into the US requires payment of various duties to the CBP during the customs process. And, since these duties are based on the classification of goods, one must ensure accuracy while classifying the goods, which is why hiring an import broker might be the right choice for a lot of sellers. Your broker will ensure payment of all the duties and invoice you for the same. 

4. Harmonized tariff schedule

Classification of products entering the US borders is done according to the HTS of the US. The HTS is important as it determines the rate of duty applicable on your particular goods. Goods entering into the US borders without proper classification can land you in greater problems such as heavy penalties. This is why the classification process requires a lot of research and product data. 

Although the aforementioned tips may sort some of your issues, hiring an import broker can really speed things up in an effective way. They will help you understand better how to import to the US. 

Sheri gill