Customs Border Protection's Officials about Moving to the USA

By Manuella Irwin

Updated: Sep 18, 2020

3 min read

Fact-checked by Martin Panayotov

Reviewer & editor

You might feel excited about your upcoming relocation to the USA and eagerly anticipate starting your adventure in the Land of Opportunity, but before that you need to take care of the Customs clearance process in order to have your household goods imported to the USA. So, we asked the Customs Border Protection Department a few questions about their mission and the clearance process in particular, so you can prepare for your international move. Here is what Anthony Bucci and Jenny Burke at the CBP share.

What were the greatest challenges in the 10-year history of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection?

Our dual mission is to facilitate travel in the United States while we secure our borders, our people and our visitors from those that would do us harm like terrorists and terrorist weapons, criminals, and contraband. CBP officers are charged with enforcing not only immigration and customs laws, but they enforce over 400 laws for 40 other agencies and have stopped thousands of violators of U.S. law.

Can you give some basic statistics how many people had their household effects moved to the USA for the year of 2011 and for the year of 2012? And what were the most common origin destinations?

CBP does not track the movement of household goods by person, rather it is tracked by consignees, and the approximate total number of consignees is as follows: FY 11: 19,290, FY 12: 22,663 and FY 13: 9,474 through March. Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco were the most common origin destination in that order, understand this is not necessarily the final destination.

How does the Customs clearance inspection usually go?

Personal and household effects entitled to duty-free entry (used abroad not less than one year and not intended for any other person or for sale) need not accompany you to the United States; you may have them shipped to your U.S. address at a later time if you choose. Your shipment of personal and/or household goods must be cleared through Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at its first port of arrival, unless you have made arrangements with a foreign freight forwarder to have your effects sent in CBP custody in-bond from the port of arrival to a more convenient port of entry for clearance. (Ask your moving company if they offer this service.)

CBP will not notify you that your goods have arrived. It is essential that the carrier notify you that your goods have arrived in port – otherwise after 15 days, they will be taken to a general order warehouse and may be sold at auction after six months.

When you come to CBP to enter your goods, you must complete CBP Form 3299 Declaration for Free Entry of Unaccompanied Articles to give to the CBP Officer. If you cannot come to the CBP office yourself, you may designate a friend or relative to represent you in CBP matters. You must give that person a letter addressed to “Officer in Charge of CBP” authorizing that individual to represent you as your agent on a one-time basis to clear your shipment through CBP.

What are the most common reasons for delays in the clearance process?

Improperly completing the (CBP Form) 6059B, “Customs Declaration,” for accompanying goods or the CBP Form 3299

What are the most common mistakes importers make during the process?

When completing the Customs and Border Protection Form (CBP Form) 6059B, “Customs Declaration,” for accompanying goods or the CBP Form 3299 “Declaration For Free Entry of Unaccompanied Articles,” the statement that the goods are “household effects” is not enough information. The complete inventory of imported goods will be treated as the packing list and must be provided to CBP upon request.

What seems to be an ample problem for people having their household and personal effects imported to the U.S.?

Photographer Josh Denmark — For Customs clearance, you will need all the documents covering your car, and you will have to fill in EPA form 3520-1 and DOT form HS-7.

Usual household furnishings and personal effects actually used abroad for not less than one year by resident or nonresidents, and not intended for any other person or for sale may be allowed entry free of duty and tax. However, in order for you to import them duty-free, you should not wait longer than 10 years after the importer’s/owner’s last arrival in the U.S. from the country in which the goods were used. After 10 years, the only way they may be imported duty-free is if you can provide the Port Director with an explanation of unavoidable circumstances, which made it impossible to import them within 10 years. Under no circumstances can they be imported duty-free if 25 years or more has elapsed, since the last arrival into the U.S. from the country in which the effects were used. For additional information please reference 19CFR148.52 (d).

Can you give some statistics about the prohibited items that people have tried to import regardless of the restriction rules? What are the most common items people try to import and what are the respective consequences?

The importation of certain classes of merchandise is prohibited or restricted to protect community health, to preserve domestic plant and animal life, and for other reasons. Should you attempt to bring in merchandise that is prohibited by law it will be seized and you may be liable for a personal penalty. Prohibited articles include liquor-filled candies, absinthe, lottery tickets, narcotics and dangerous drugs, drug paraphernalia, obscene articles and publications, seditious and treasonable materials, hazardous articles (e.g. fireworks, dangerous toys, toxic or poisonous substances),

products made by prison convicts or forced labor, and switchblade knives* (the only exception is for a one-armed traveler, in which case the blade must be no longer than three inches).

Firearms that are being imported into the U.S. for the first time must be imported by a registered dealer. If you are a returning resident, you will need to present proof that your firearms were in your possession when you moved out of the U.S. Proof could be a CBP Form 4457, sales receipt, insurance papers or a household inventory showing the serial number that was prepared when you moved out of the U.S. Members of the military may import firearms directly, but they must obtain a permit from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) first. Please be aware that state laws govern how much alcohol a person may import into their state without a license and those laws are enforced by CBP. You must check with the state board where your shipment will enter the country to determine their limits.

What is on the CBP’s agenda? What are your current priorities and how are you addressing them?

CBP is one of the Department of Homeland Security’slargest and most complex components, with a priority mission of keeping terrorists and their weapons out of the U.S. It also has a responsibility for securing the border and facilitating lawful international trade and travel while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws and regulations, including immigration and drug laws. CBP facilitates about $2 trillion in legitimate trade this year while enforcing U.S. trade laws that protect the economy, the health and the safety of the American people. We accomplish this through close partnerships with the trade community, other government agencies and foreign governments.