Remedial measures and experience sharing after the failure of customs clearance of small parcels from China to foreign countries

When small parcels from China fail to clear customs to foreign countries, the following remedial measures can be taken and combined with experience sharing to improve the subsequent success rate:

I. Common reasons for customs clearance failure

Document problems: invoice and waybill information do not match, and the declared value is false.

Commodity restrictions: prohibited goods and sensitive goods (such as liquids, batteries, counterfeit brands) are not confirmed in advance.

Tariff disputes: low declaration leads to customs doubts, and additional taxes or fines are required.

Inspection randomness: some countries (such as the United States and the European Union) conduct strict spot checks on parcels from specific sources.

II. Remedial measures and steps

1. Contact the logistics service provider

Get detailed reasons: clarify the reasons for failure through the logistics company or customs notification (such as missing documents, additional taxes are required).

Apply for review or appeal: If you think it is a misjudgment (such as incorrect classification of goods), provide supplementary materials (such as product instructions, compliance certificates).

2. Supplement or modify documents

Correct the declared information: re-provide accurate commercial invoices and packing lists to ensure consistency with the actual items.

Adjust the declared value: avoid obvious under-reporting (such as marking “gift” but the value is too low), and you can attach purchase vouchers.

3. Handle customs duties or fines

Pay taxes and fees: pay through the logistics company or the customs official website to speed up the release.

Dispute resolution: If the taxes and fees are unreasonable, provide transaction records for appeal (such as DHL/FedEx has a special channel).

4. Return or transshipment

Return to China: bear the return shipping fee and re-ship (note to keep the return shipping documents to avoid double taxation).

Third-party transit: Some logistics companies can assist in transshipment to countries with loose customs clearance (such as Singapore and Malaysia), and then send to the destination.

5. Destroy or abandon goods

Low-cost goods: If the return shipping fee is too high, you can sign a declaration of abandonment (need to confirm whether it affects the sender’s credit).

III. Experience sharing and prevention suggestions

1. Preliminary preparation

Confirm the policy of the destination country: for example, Brazil requires the recipient tax number (CPF), and the EU requires an EORI number.

Compliant packaging for sensitive goods: batteries require UN38.3 certification, and liquids comply with MSDS standards.

Choose the right logistics channel:

Postal channel (EMS/small package): low sampling rate, but slow tracking.

Commercial express (DHL/UPS): strict customs clearance but high efficiency, suitable for high-value items.

Dedicated line logistics: optimize customs clearance for specific countries (such as the US dedicated line).

2. Declaration skills

Reasonable declared value: It is recommended to declare 60-80% of the value of the goods, and avoid “$1” declaration.

Clear product description: avoid writing “Gift” in general, and indicate the specific product name and material (such as “100% Cotton T-Shirt”).

3. Cooperation and communication

Pre-clearance service: Some logistics providers provide pre-examination document services (such as FedEx’s “Clearance Plus”).

Recipient cooperation: Notify the recipient in advance to assist in customs clearance (such as providing ID cards and paying tariffs).

4. Risk diversification

Shipment in batches: High-value goods are divided into multiple packages to reduce the probability of being taxed.

Purchase insurance: Cover the loss of lost items and returned shipments (especially high-value goods).

IV. Case reference

Case 1: A clothing package was detained due to “low declaration” and was released after re-providing Alipay transaction records.

Case 2: Electronic products containing lithium batteries successfully entered the United States through Hong Kong transit (sensitive goods channel).

Case 3: Brazilian packages were returned due to lack of CPF number, and the second shipment was successful after supplementary submission.

V. Key reminders

Keep all documents: including original invoices, logistics bills, and customs notices.

Time control: Returns may take 1-3 months, and important goods are recommended to be given priority to commercial express delivery.

Through the above measures, most customs clearance problems can be effectively solved. For long-term shipments, it is recommended to cooperate with professional customs clearance agents or logistics companies to establish stable channels.