U.S. Customs and Border Protection Clarifies What Info Is Needed on Shipments Valued at Less Than $800

©iStock/takenobu

U.S. Customs officials plan to issue a ruling this week intended to give border agents more transparency about the origin of imports destined for U.S. warehouses, improving their ability to police shipments for counterfeits and other illegal goods.

With the ruling, Customs and Border Protection aims to clarify what information some shippers must include about shipments valued at less than $800 that are heading to U.S. fulfillment centers and warehouses. Congress set that monetary threshold in 2016 as the amount at which goods can pass into the U.S. tax-free and with minimal documentation.

That law, which eased the flow of global e-commerce for retailers and consumers, also limited the amount of information shippers provided to Customs agents monitoring incoming goods for trademark violations, consumer-safety violations and other illegal behavior.

Note:  The ruling will require some shippers in the U.S. who want to import shipments under the $800 threshold to provide information about the foreign seller before the goods can enter the U.S. and continue to a warehouse to await a U.S. buyer.

The Mark of Zara on the Global E-commerce Front

©iStock/J2R

Zara has big plans to go global with e-commerce.

The retailer has increased its focus on web operations and investments in technology, ranging from applications to track stock to virtual reality in dressing rooms.

[Zara] plans to make clothes from its Zara label and other brands available online anywhere in the world within two years, aiming to become one of the first truly global clothiers as Amazon.com Inc. (No. 1) encroaches into fashion.

Read more how Zara will soon make their clothes available to anyone, everywhere in the world.