When searching for delivery solutions to the USA, international e-commerce companies are learning USA direct import processes.
Disclaimer: The information in this blog is for general information only and is not intended to, constitute legal and/or tax advice. All liability with respect to actions taken or not taken based on the contents of this site are hereby expressly disclaimed. The content on this posting is provided “as is”; no representations are made that the content is error-free.
Section 321, $800, $0 duty
The US is by far the most open market for shipping ecommerce orders direct. Via section 321 processes, goods can be imported duty free. That is well known by ecommerce sellers but many are going further to set up their own direct import processes to the USA.
Section 321 Port of Entries include:
- Major air freight hubs including JFK, DFW, LAX and ORD
- Border Crossings from Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal
Section 321 Entry Types
Section 321 is a designated entry type for individual consignments valued under $800. The different types of section 321 include:
- Express consignment / ECCF: Goods imported using an ECCF are granted express clearance privileges and are subject to regulations outlined in Part 128 of the Code of Federal Regulations / CFR. Goods imported via express processes are subject to a per consignment fee mandated by customs to reimburse the cost for express processes.
- Cargo Clearance / CFS: Goods can be imported using express processes but without the per consignment fee (mentioned above). Goods are transferred to an approved Container Freight Station (CFS) and are usually cleared within 1 to 3 days of arrival.
- Type 86 Entry: For traditional brokerage processes that use automated connections to customs (ACE), section 321 type 86 can be used. The key difference is that HS codes are required for each item. An HS Code is not required for ECCF or CFS section 321 mentioned above.
- Canada/ USA Cross Border Clearance: This method is increasingly being used to take advantage of airlift to Canada and trucking cross border directly (usually) to a USPS facility.
We are seeing more ecommerce merchants inquiring about shipping in bulk to Canada and then individual orders to the USA. In some cases, particularly from Japan and Vietnam, shippers can import goods duty free to Canada for forwarding direct to the USA via cross border + USPS labeling and injection.
