Are you importing goods to the USA? Key facts explained.

If you are planning shipping goods to our warehouse, we want to make sure that these goods arrive at our warehouse custom cleared. This means goods must be DDP (Delivered Duty Paid, or free of all import taxes or customs clearance charges).

Acutrack recommends working with a customs broker to import your products into the US. A licensed customs broker will help fill out paperwork and obtain the required documentation to complete the import. You have the option to work with a customs broker of your choice, or we can recommend one of our preferred partners.

Who will be the importer of record?: You (not Acutrack) will the importer of record for anything we receive on your behalf. The merchandise we receive must be free and clear of customs duties in order for us to sign for it. In order to clear customs, the customs broker can help create a custom ID#. Of note, you don’t need a US Federal Tax ID number or mailing address.

• Steps to becoming an importer of Record: Customs broker generally requires the following items:
  • Customs POA ( Power of Attorney )
  • EIN number if you are a US Based Company. Otherwise, a customs broker can get you Customs Assigned Number as a foreign importer of record
  • Customs Bond
• Importer Security Filing (ISF): US customs require that you file Importer Security Filing 24 hours before the departure of the ocean shipment from the port at the origin. This filing is done by the importer of record. If not done properly or timely, it may cause a penalty upon arrival at the destination port. To comply, customs wants a bond on file to secure that the penalties, if any levied, will be paid.
• Customs Bond: You have the option of obtaining a "single entry" or "continuous bond". The type of bond you elect to obtain ultimately depends on how often you import into the U.S. For instance if you only import on occasion, the single entry bond is recommended. If you import frequently and through various ports of entry, the continuous bond is beneficial and economically the best choice.
• Duties and taxes: Please make sure Duties Delivery Paid (DDP) is selected when you or your vendors ship the products. Acutrack is not responsible to pay duties and taxes.