Labay/Summers International, Inc., has held a Customs Brokers license from U.S. Customs and Border Protection since 1972.
As a licensed Customs Broker, Labay/Summers provides exceptional Customs clearance services of cargo arriving the U.S. via air, sea and land. Our company has handled virtually every type of cargo conceivable during our half century of service to the importing community.
The Customs clearance process usually begins with a thorough review of all documentation to ensure full compliance with CBP regulations as well any other U.S. governmental agencies, if applicable. The next step is usually to examine the documentation to determine the appropriate tariff classification(s) under the U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule ( HTS ). The classification(s) must be precise to avoid any complications with U.S. CBP. If the shipment is arriving the U.S. via ship, it would be at this point the Importer Security Filing ( IFS ) ( See below ) would be addressed to eliminate any possibility of penalties by U.S. CBP.
The steps above pertain to what is called a “ CBP Consumption Entry “. This type of entry is used when products or commodities are imported for use in the United States and is directly entering the commerce of the United States without restrictions of time or use.
However, as a part of the Customs clearance process, we have discussions with our import clients to examine their needs and to determine whether a different type of entry process is required. There are different types of entry procedures for goods moving through the U.S. to be exported again as well as goods to be placed in U.S. Customs bonded storage with the option for future consumption or future export. As another example, there is an entry process called a “ Temporary Importation Bond ( TIB ) that allows goods to be imported into the U.S. free of duty for repair and then be exported back to the foreign source. These and other types of entries are available depending upon the needs of our import clients.
We have provided a brief general overview of the Customs clearance process while omitting many small steps we take to protect the interests and goals of our import clients. We certainly welcome any questions from our clients or potential clients.
