A Guide to US Custom Clearance from China and Malaysia

When you grow your company outside your nation’s boundaries, you must pass your products via the Us custom clearance procedure. The recipient country and your country’s customs departments are in charge of this process.

The customs department has received government approval to implement import and export regulations. As someone wishing to move goods across borders, it would be beneficial to become aware of your country’s international trade rules because they vary in each country.

If you need to know what to anticipate, shipping from Malaysia to the USA can be challenging. You need US customs clearance. There are many variables and things you should be aware of before delivering your items. When cargo enters a nation, it is stored in a location under customs control until clearance, at which point it is released.

What expenses must be considered while exporting goods from Malaysia to the USA?

Depending on a variety of variables, shipping rates can vary significantly. The items in the package(s), their volume, weight, measurements, and manner of transportation are among them. Additionally, it’s critical to consider the season and the insurance for the cargo.

• Usually, air freight is more expensive than marine freight (although it can be cheaper to send small packages via plane).
• Your shipping prices will substantially increase if you transport pricey items with a large insurance deductible.
• LCL shipping (less than a container load) is more affordable than FCL shipping if you can’t fill a shipping container with your goods (full container load).
• Taking into account these financial considerations can be intimidating. To understand your possibilities, you need to know your ports of origin and destination, the date you intend to ship your cargo, and the kind of shipment you’re sending. A shipping firm may assist you in determining the best freight rates.
• FCL shipping over the ocean outside of the busiest times of the year is typically the most affordable method of shipping from Malaysia to the USA.

The cargo from China option is also available.

What is the transit time for freight from Malaysia to the United States?

Depending on your chosen ports of origin and destination, the product being sent, what is being shipped, and the mode of transportation, shipping freight door-to-door from Malaysia to the USA could take anywhere from 35 to 55 days. Cargo from China also takes a similar amount of time.

Air freight is the fastest mode of transportation, which takes 1 to 5 days for cargo to arrive at its destination port in the United States. Ocean freight requires more time. Goods shipped from Malaysia to a port in the US may take up to 43 days to arrive.

FCL shipping also goes more quickly than LCL shipping due to the logistics of loading and unloading the cargo at both ends of the route.

What steps are involved in clearing customs?

There are various steps involved in customs clearance, which we outline below:

Step 1: Examine the documents.

All of the documents mentioned above make sense at this point. All of the papers will be examined by a customs officer, who will start the customs clearance procedure if they are determined to be in order.

Step 2: Calculating taxes and duties is step two.

Your customs broker would be most helpful in this situation because they are responsible for paying taxes and import duties. The type of products in your shipment, their declared value, the customs regulations of the nation you are sending to, and the form of shipping, incoterm you choose, are all taken into account when calculating these taxes.

Step 3: Selecting an Incoterm and paying Taxes and Duties

A DDU (Delivered Duty Unpaid) or a DDP option (Delivered Duty Paid). Which incoterms apply to your consignment will be verified by customs officials. Your shipment will be labelled as DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) if you have paid, indicating that your customs broker has already paid all applicable taxes and import duties.

Your cargo will be stamped DDU if you have yet to pay these taxes and fees (Delivered Duty Unpaid). If so, the customs officer will transfer the shipment to a separate customs broker so that they can process it and gather the payments. There will be additional costs in this situation for things like inspection, storage, handling, insurance, and disbursement.

Step 4: Release of shipment.

The customs office releases the package when all unpaid taxes and duties are received, then travels to its destination.

6 tips on making the clearance process much easier

Even though the procedure for clearing a package through customs may appear simple, it can be challenging, especially if you are new to exporting and importing. You can get US custom clearance easily by following these tips. The process will be streamlined and made much more doable with the help of the following advice though:

Hire and employ an experienced freight forwarding or carrier company

The most valuable present you can give yourself when you start your exporting business is a carrier or freight forwarding firm. Having your exports managed by a seasoned and dependable freight forwarding firm will provide you with priceless peace of mind. The expert freight forwarder has a wealth of knowledge regarding shipping and customs clearance procedures due to their experience. You will avoid numerous problems by having this invaluable knowledge.

Make sure your documentation is correct and full

You may incur significant costs as a result of incomplete or incorrect paperwork. The customs office will only clear your goods if there is a mistake in your paperwork or if you need certain necessary information. Instead, it will be kept in the customs holding area, and you will need to pay holding fees. This is because there will be delays in releasing your shipment, resulting in missed delivery dates and causing further problems for your company. Please cross all of your t’s and dot all of your i’s on your documentation. Giving your freight forwarders or carrier the responsibility of ensuring that everything is noticed in your paperwork is one way to achieve this.

Recognize that your shipment must pass through customs clearance in every country it visits

This knowledge is essential when choosing which freight company to ship your shipment through. For instance, if you choose air freight, your goods will only pass through customs in the location where they will be used, saving you a ton of time.

Acknowledge that laws and rules governing international trade are subject to rapid modification

It might be challenging to stay on top of things because the import-export market is fluid, and its legal framework is continuously changing. Additionally, the procedure you used in the past could only apply after you utilise it. For this reason, you should keep up with import-export sector developments so that you are not caught off guard.

Make sure your shipment is packed correctly

Your shipment must be correctly packed, and this must be stressed more. A shipment that has been perfectly packed will clear customs more quickly. Along with quicker customs clearance, correctly packed cargo will travel with less risk of damage. Additionally, processing will be simpler if everything is in its rightful place and isn’t turned upside down when the package arrives at the receiving port.

Ensure your documentation is securely linked to your shipment in an easy-access location

Customs officers will be able to process your shipments more quickly. If the paperwork related to them is simple to find and not hidden deep within the cargo.

Conclusion

For all foreign shipments of commercial items, customs clearance is required. The procedure is necessary because it ensures that no prohibited or unlawful enters a nation. The government collects taxes and fees on responsible commodities. For cargo to smoothly travel from Malaysia through the USA’s customs clearance process, it must be adequately packaged and labeled. Having the required paperwork, such as a commercial invoice, a packing list, and an importation permit for particular items.