The Ins and Outs of Importing Cargo into the United States

If interested in overseas shipping, most international shipping companies would be happy to help you along the process. However, once it comes to importing cargo into the United States from other countries, the regulations involved in the fine print are enough to scare potential customers and companies alike.

Although there are many similarities to export shipping, they end when the cargo reaches United States customs services at the destination port.

From the beginning of the shipping process, the goods being shipped need to be declared meticulously on the entry documents. This pertains mostly to full container (FCL) and less-than container (LCL) shipments. 

For automobiles, it is important to know that United States customs cannot accept cars that were not made for the U.S market. In other words, if the car was not made in America, it cannot be imported into the country unless it’s an older model (age restrictions vary).

Besides these two regulations, many more exist for shipping from specific countries and ports. Luckily, a shipping company’s international shipping services will normally take care of all customs issues so that the customer does not have to worry.

For the customer, one of the most important decisions includes choosing the port of entry based on convenience. These ports include those in New York, Maryland, Virginia, Georgia, Florida, Texas, and California.

Other than that, the company’s specific shipping services should take care of the rest, even arranging a car carrier service if the automobile needs to be transported from the port to a warehouse or your door.

International shipping can be easy with the right international shipping company, even when importing goods into the United States!