How to tell if your shipment is held at customs (and what to do)
Few things worry an importer more than seeing their goods stuck at the port. A shipment being held at customs is common and almost always has a solution if you act fast and know why it happened.
In this guide we explain how to detect that your shipment is held, the most common causes and the steps to release it.
How to know it's held
You'll notice it because the shipment tracking stops advancing and stays in a status like 'pending clearance', 'at customs' or 'held'. The most reliable way to confirm it is to ask your carrier, forwarder or customs broker, who has access to the real status of the file.
The most common causes
- Incomplete or incorrect documentation (invoice, origin, descriptions).
- Doubts about the declared value (suspected undervaluation).
- Wrong tariff classification or one that needs checking.
- Physical inspection of the goods (red channel).
- Missing product documentation (CE marking, certificates, licences).
- Outstanding taxes to be paid.
What to do, step by step
- Contact your carrier or customs broker as soon as possible to learn the exact reason.
- Gather and provide the documentation customs requests.
- If it's a value issue, prepare evidence (real invoice, payment receipts).
- Pay any outstanding taxes.
How to prevent it from happening again
Most holds are avoided at origin: with correct and complete documentation, an appropriate tariff classification, a real declared value and product documentation in order. Preventing in China is far cheaper than resolving at the port.
How R'S WARE helps you
We prepare and review the documentation before shipping and verify the product's conformity at the factory, so the goods reach customs with everything in order. And if an issue arises, we handle it with the broker to release it as soon as possible.
