
If the seller does not make arrangements for postal or door-to-door delivery, you will either need to hire a customs broker to clear your goods and forward them on to you, or go the port of entry and clear them yourself. You should discuss with the seller what the exact delivery arrangements will be.Sometimes, the seemingly cheaper methods can be more expensive in the long run because they are more susceptible to theft, misdeliveries and logistical problems. If you're not careful, transportation and handling costs could far outweigh the cost of your purchase. The choices are freight, courier service or international postal service. Will you be responsible for shipping costs? If so, you should discuss with the seller how your purchase will be shipped.Are you buying the item(s) for your personal use or for commercial purposes?.Can the goods be legally imported? Are there restrictions on, or special forms required, for your purchase's importation?.The answers will have far-reaching CBP implications (explained below) that could influence your decision to buy. Keep the following questions in mind before you buy something from a foreign source. If merchandise, used or new, is imported into the United States, it must clear CBP and may be subject to the payment of duty as well as to whatever rules and regulations govern the importation of that particular product into the United States. It does not matter whether you bought the item from an established business or from an individual selling item in an on-line auction. Depending upon what you are importing and its value, the procedures can be very complicated.

Knowing what is admissible is just part of the story. At the very least, such goods would be detained, and possibly destroyed, by CBP.
TRACKING PACKAGES THROUGH CUSTOMS CODE
Importing goods that are unsafe, that fail to meet health code requirements, or that violate quota restrictions could end up costing you quite a bit of money in fines and penalties. And it is the importer - in this case, YOU - who is responsible for assuring that the goods comply with a variety of both state and federal government import regulations. In other words, "Buyer, Beware." When you buy goods from foreign sources, you become the importer. And storage charges in such cases can be expensive. Your great auction purchase of gorgeous linen products? Depending upon the country of origin, quota restrictions could hold them up in CBP for a long time. Customs and Border Protection could seize your purchase because certain regulations prohibit the importation of dairy products from particular countries without a permit. That artisan cheese from Italy may be a snap to find and buy on the Internet, but U.S. There are specific rules and regulations that govern the act of importing - and they can be extremely complex and confusing - and costly.

When goods move from any foreign country to the United States, they are being IMPORTED. However, many people are discovering that getting a foreign-bought item successfully delivered to the United States is much more complicated. The Internet has made it easy to find and purchase items from almost anywhere in the world.
