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How Customs Clearance Works in International Shipping (And How to Avoid Delays)
Created on 10.28
Foreign shipping isn't as easy as loading and tracing—foreign shipping involves clearing customs, where delays, red tape, and surprise fees lurk. And with international trade growing by $300 billion in early 2025 alone, customs offices are under more stress than ever.
The good news? Most delays are avoidable. This article distills what actually happens during customs clearance and provides you with clear action plans to prevent getting stuck at the border.
Deep Dive: What Really Happens During Customs Clearance
Let's be real—customs clearance is the black box of overseas shipping. You've done it all correctly (or at least, you think), your goods are in transit, and then suddenly, seemingly out of thin air, it's detained at customs. No rhyme or reason. No estimate of when you might see your goods again. Just. stuck.
But behind the innocuous-looking "Processing at Customs" message, there's a really clever system at work behind the scenes securing the borders, keeping trade honest, and paperwork at bay.
Let's dispel the mystique and take a sneak peek behind the scenes and have a look at what is really happening in the background.
What Customs Officials Actually Look For
It's not as simple as scanning a bar code on an import label. When your product is entering the country, border officials are targeting four key factors:
- Risk: Is there something about this shipment—origin, contents, or route—that would make them suspicious?
- Value: Are goods fairly valued? Undervaluation in hopes of avoiding paying taxes is a warning sign.
- Legality: Are the goods even legal to import, anyway? Some of them require licenses, certificates, or are simply prohibited.
- Origin: Where the item was manufactured is important—especially when there's a trade agreement and a tariff thrown in.
Meet the AI That's Judging Your Shipment
Those days are long gone when customs agents used to check each box or examine every invoice physically. Now, the majority of nations employ computer-based risk engines fueled by artificial intelligence to pre-screen shipments even before they arrive at customs.
These systems look at patterns, like whether your shipping route seems suspicious, if your product description matches your HS code, or if you’ve had past clearance issues.
Even innocent mistakes (like a typo on your bill or the wrong classification code) can flag. On the other hand, if your documents are in order and your compliance history is spotless, your shipment will be cleared in minutes.
Yes, therefore, a computer can determine whether your container gets to where it's going or stays in a warehouse for a week.
The Move Towards Pre-Arrangement Clearance
One of the greatest transformations in global shipping over the last few years? Customs needs your papers prior to your goods' arrival.
It's pre-arrival processing, and it's increasingly becoming the norm in most big markets:
- The U.S. employs ACE (Automated Commercial Environment)
- The EU employed ICS2, with advance notice for all modes of transport—air and parcel post included.
- China and others simplified customs to process via electronic portals, decreasing clearance times (if your documents are error-free).
The bottom line: Customs is not the delay. If your documents are behind or incomplete, your shipment will be delayed before it even arrives.
Documentation That Can Break or Make Your Shipment
Let's be honest: even the best oiled shipping machine can crash and burn in paperwork. Customs will never open your container—but if the papers aren't in order, that shipment's not moving.
A commercial invoice, yes, yes. But just the beginning. These are the actual MVPs of customs clearance:
- Packing List: Assisting customs to check contents without opening boxes.
- Certificate of Origin (COO): Certifies duty rates—particularly for FTAs such as USMCA or EU trade agreements.
- HS Codes: Essential in classifying products. Get it wrong, and you're overpaying or facing an audit.
- Bill of Lading / Air Waybill: Evidence of transportation + contractual arrangement b/w parties.
- MSDS: Included for hazardous goods (remember batteries, chemicals).
- Import Permits/Licenses: For restricted items—no permit, no entry.
Missing or inaccurate paperwork = delays, inspections, or worse, customs seizure. Dafey helps businesses stay compliant with expert guidance on international documentation, ensuring your shipments stay on track and stress-free.
Regulatory Traps: How Shipments Get Flagged or Held Up
Even with your items expertly boxed and your paperwork in tip-top shape, there will always be regulations that seem to find a way to catch you off guard. Customs isn't merely inspecting boxes—they're searching for red flags, big or small. This is where companies get caught unawares.
The Hidden Risk of Incorrect HS Codes
All those little six-digit HS codes? Badder than they seem. Get your products misclassified—accidentally or not—and you can be dunned on duties, have shipments held up, or even be fined. Customs relies on these codes to know what your item is, what regulations it's governed under, and how much you'll pay for it. Screw it up, and the whole system slows down.
Red Flags by Country
What is acceptable in one country is a raised eyebrow elsewhere. Certain things, such as drones or chemicals, are dual-use products and therefore can be identified as suspicious. Other areas of red flags include sanctioned territories or abnormally low declared values. Customs officers know to look out for suspicious patterns, so knowing is choosing to understand local restrictions prior to your cargo leaving the port.
Geopolitics in the Cargo Hold
Political uncertainty doesn't just make the front page—it can delay your shipment. In the US, legislation such as the UFLPA addresses forced labor issues, and the changing VAT regulations in the EU have introduced unexpected charges and requirements. Trade deals shift, compliance regulations adapt, and staying on the front edge of the curve now means staying in business.
Smart Strategies to Prevent Delays and Reduce Risk
Ever had a customs delay on a shipment? You know the routine—frustration, confusion, and usually a wildfire of emails looking for the problem. The good news? Most of those delays can be prevented. By adopting a "compliance-first" approach and adding some sly strategies, you can keep products moving and avoid costly setbacks.
Start with a Compliance-First Mindset
Make customs compliance an integral part of your shipping routine—something you do instead of after things go awry. That means getting your staff trained on the basics, reviewing documentation twice before shipping out product, and having your procedures in compliance with importing laws locally before shipping.
Automate HS Code Classification
One of the simplest methods of getting yourself flagged in import duties is by your making a mistake in HS codes. Fortunately, you don't have to wing it. Automated classification software can assist you in keeping your head on straight like Avalara, Descartes, or software designed right into your TMS which will keep you properly up to speed on tariffs and changes. That little step could potentially prevent significant delays and penalties.
Keep Your Docs in One Spot
Don't let incomplete paperwork keep your cargo for hostage. Create a cloud-based central library for all the documents customs will ask for: commercial invoices, packing lists, certificates of origin, MSDS reports, import licenses—you name it. Software like CargoWise or Google Workspace can ease document sharing across teams.
Run Regular Mini Audits
Don't let customs find the problem—get to it first. Schedule quarterly audits of past shipments to correct repeated errors—like inconsistent declared values or expired licenses. Addressing these early on keeps you out of the same pitfalls down the road and gets you on better terms with customs in the long term.
Work With Local Experts
Customs laws aren't a one-size-fits-all situation. What does the trick in Canada can cause issues in India or Brazil. That's why it's worth paying for a local licensed customs broker or logistics firm—they know the system quirks, the up-to-date regulations, and how to get your products cleared as fast as possible.
Research AEO or CTPAT Certification
If you ship a lot, it's worth becoming a "trusted trader." They give you priority clearance lanes, fewer checks, and quicker turnaround times through schemes like AEO (within the EU) or CTPAT (in the US). It takes work to get in—but once you do, it's well worth it.
Wrapping Up
Customs clearance doesn't have to be code-breaking. With the proper strategies, some forethought, and the right tools, you can turn a maddening chokepoint into a smooth, reliable process in your supply chain. From learning to document to embracing automation and collaborating with local experts, each conscious step tallies toward faster clearance and less surprise.
But if you’re tired of second-guessing forms, codes, and compliance risks—why go it alone?
Let Dafey’s expert customs and logistics services simplify your global shipping. Whether you’re scaling internationally or navigating new markets, Dafey helps you stay compliant, reduce costly delays, and focus on growing your business, not paperwork.
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