Tiếng Việt
What Procedures Are Required for Exporting to the U.S. Market?
The U.S. market is one of the most potential markets. However, it is a demanding market with high technical standards, making it difficult to successfully export a shipment. Therefore, understanding the export procedures is a mandatory requirement for businesses.
Most Vietnamese businesses fail in foreign trade contracts due to:
- Lack of knowledge about policies, customs, and external information;
- Inability to establish good relationships with U.S. distributors, transportation, banks, customs, lawyers, and customs regulations;
- Uncontrolled product quality, costs, and poor market forecasting.
To achieve success in the export procedures to the U.S. market, let’s explore the following issues with Eimskip for a comprehensive understanding of the procedures for exporting goods to the U.S.
Considerations for Exported Goods
The U.S. market is promising for exporting food products such as rice, seafood, fruits, coffee, pepper, etc. However, businesses need to identify their products to gather information from the respective responsible agencies.
However, some products are not yet allowed for export to the U.S. market, such as poultry, meat, and eggs.
Certain items that are difficult to export to the U.S. market include alcoholic beverages, live animals, toys, and perishable goods.
Agencies Responsible for Importing Goods into the U.S.
Depending on the specific product, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will work with other agencies such as:
- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA),
- The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF),
- And others.
Some Declaration Procedures When Exporting to the U.S.
- Automatic Manifest System (AMS) Declaration: Exporters are responsible for declaring information at the loading port. Information about the shipment entering the U.S. must be declared to U.S. Customs 48 hours before the vessel departs. Exporters are responsible for declaring the information at the loading port. However, the AMS declaration can be handled by freight forwarding companies, with the procedure quickly completed at a cost of about $25 per shipment.
- Import Security Filing (ISF): ISF was implemented in January 2010 by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Information must be declared to U.S. Customs 48 hours before the vessel departs from the transshipment port to the U.S. ISF declaration requires the U.S. importer to declare information such as importer details, manufacturer, product codes, carrier, etc.
- Container X-ray Inspection: Upon entering the U.S., containers are typically randomly inspected, especially those with suspicious signs. Inspections occur at the transshipment port or the destination port in the U.S. If not, goods may be returned, or even heavily fined by U.S. Customs.
Some Notes on Declaration Procedures When Exporting to the U.S.
- Delayed AMS Declaration: If the exporter cannot complete the AMS declaration, the shipment will not be loaded onto the vessel, unless it is transshipped.
- AMS Amendment: Any amendment to the AMS information will incur a modification fee from U.S. Customs, ranging from $40 to $45, depending on the shipping line’s surcharge. This amendment usually arises from changes in the actual quantity of goods compared to the initially declared amount.
- Delayed ISF Declaration: This rule is the responsibility of the importer. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and households often encounter difficulties with ISF declarations. If ISF declaration is insufficient, the importer may be fined up to $5,000 per shipment.
- Goods Held for X-ray Inspection: This is a common oversight among importers. Depending on the trade terms, either the exporter or importer is responsible for this surcharge. The cost includes container X-ray fees and container storage charges at the port.
To ensure the smooth export of goods to the U.S., and in cases where you do not have time to handle the procedures, businesses should seek out reputable customs declaration services with long-standing experience to avoid unwanted fines and succeed in foreign trade contracts. Additionally, you can explore Eimskip’s customs declaration solutions, with over 100 years of experience in the American and European markets.
