1. ISF (visa) must be file, 48 hours before leaving foreign port, otherwise customs could penalize you, up-to $5000 and etc.

1. After ISF (visa) has been verified, you will be receiving 3 page ISF confirmation (for your record) and Invoice (total 4 pages).
2. Payment: check (personal/company) or wire (info will be given with Invoice ), no credit-card / no other for security issues.
3. Also, confirmation will be email your supplier/shipper/forwarder/etc., so they will be able to, load to the vessel (if they haven't, yet)

2. ISF filing cost (two type).

1. ISF filing: 24 hours (USA time zone) before leaving foreign port: $95 + single ISF bond.
2. Late ISF filing: 23 hours and 59 minutes (USA time zone) before leaving foreign port or has left foreign port: $297. 61 + import-bond ($876. 33).
3. Please email all documents (such as ISF -info, Invoice / Packing List /etc.) from your supplier/shipper/etc., also, fill out Service Agreement and email your driver-license or passport

3. You hired (you're hiring) us to submit your ISF , entry and bonds with customs/agencies and if any domestic trucking (nothing more).

1. Fyi / ie: as certified public accountant (CPA) provides tax filing service (aka IRS-broker). We / import-customs-broker (ICB) provide ISF , entry and bond filing services.
2. Any questions relating to shipping, contact your supplier (ie; if you ordered things from amazon, they are your supplier and shipper, so if you have any problems, contact amazon).
3. Any questions relating to arrival-notice (an), contact issuer of an. Questions relating to pick-up location, look at your an. Questions relating to warehouse, contact warehouse.
4. Fyi: just like any visa, passport and etc, customs can reject any person/cargo before/during/after in us, with-out refunds, pro-rates and etc, and demand export back to origin.
5. All premium/commission/services/arrangements/etc fees are full earned (no refunds, no pro-rates and etc). Isf final ruling is 6 years and entry is 5 years (irs is 7 years)

4. After 911: customs / agencies (DHS / IRS / etc) requires your cooperation/patience. Email your photo-picture of your driver-license or passport.

1. Also, all importer must identify with importer-id (aka: SSN or ein). If you're importing with your personal name/sole-p, importer-id is SSN , all others are ein.
2. ISF filing is like visa to your cargo (aka back-ground-check). 48 hours before leaving foreign port, you must declare your info, supplier, shipper, factory and etc.
3. Customs entry filing / customs clearing / customs-released is like passport to your cargo (aka us stander / compliance of agencies, such as FDA , USDA and etc)

5. Especially for first-time importer, please email all import/export doc's/info's relating to cargo and email your photo-picture of driver-license or passport.

1. If you haven't receive any/some, please email your supplier/shipper info (email and contact name and /or forward last email communication with your shipper).
2. We will be coordinating with you and your-supplier/shipper, to file your ISF (visa) and entry (passport) with customs / agencies. All email are copy to you (no extra fee).
3. Customs / agencies will/may require poa (ie: authority to submit), if so, we will be emailing you poa, to verify your-info and fill-in "yellow-high-lig HTS ", and email back to us

6. Bond's are requirement by customs / agencies, for all importer ( ISF and entry), vessel / carrier (loader/unloader), forwarder (issuer bl and an), warehouse/port and etc.

1. Isf filing: if your importer-id (ein/ SSN ) is with-out a import-bond (cb/$876. 33) or single- ISF -bond (sib), sib is automatically apply. If filing late- ISF is apply with cb.
2. Entry filing: single-entry-bond (seb) is apply to entry filing. But if cargo is subject-to ( FDA , USDA and etc), cb is automatically apply to entry, for your convenient.
3. Single- ISF -bond (sib) and single-entry-bond (SEB) could be done within 30 mins. Continuous-bond (CB) could be issued/signed-off by customs / surety, within 3-5 days.
4. Fyi: one continuous-bond eliminates most of single- ISF -bond and single-entry-bond and it's good for next 365 days. It can be approved within 3-5 days (ie; register to import).
5. If this is your first-time and if continuous bond (CB) is not require, i suggest Single ISF Bond (sib) and Single Entry Bond (SEB), until you're ready to import continuously.

7. All importer will paying domestic fees:

1. ISF (ie; visa to your cargo), must be file, 24 hours before leaving foreign port) and entry (passport to your cargo) could be file only with arrival-notice from forwarder/carrier.
2. Bill-of-lading/bl (ie; airline-ticket / port-port-ticket / cargo-travel-ticket) is created, after you paid, your supplier/shipper and it's issued before leaving a foreign port.
3. Arrival-notice/an (ie; taxi / shuttle from port to hotel) is unloading and moving to warehouse/terminal. Must pay directly to issuer of an, (ie; pay directly to taxi/shuttle company).
4. Issuer arrival-notice (an) info is found at your Bill of Lading (BL) . An is issued 6-7 days before cargo is in us. Issuer an is agent of bl (aka cargo-ticket-agent for vessel).
5. CFS warehouse / terminal (ie: hotel for cargo) fee (aka storage/ forklift/ etc), must pay directly to warehouse / terminal, at the time of pick-up or trucking (ie; as you check-out).
6. Let say, you're going to china: visa and passport, buy a airline-ticket from origin, to closest destination, taxi from airport to hotel (pay directly to taxi-driver and hotel). Vice-versa.

8. Entry (passport) can be file only with arrival-notice/an (final doc) from your forwarder/vessel/supplier/etc. An is issue 6-7 days before cargo is in us port.

1. Arrival-notice (an) has final info's of cargo: pick-up locations (warehouse/port), aka; cost of unloading from vessel and moving it warehouse/port (if any) and etc.
2. After submitting your final document (an), within 72 hours, customs / agencies will notify duty/tax, exams-notice (if any), subject-to agencies (if any) and etc.
3. Entry payment: check (personal/company) or wire (info will be email with Invoice ), but if it's time-sensitive (cargo in us, exam or etc.), only wire is accept it.
4. Entry service $50 + entry fee $195 + Single Entry Bond (SEB) or import-bond (if subject-to agencies / $876. 33) + duty/tax/etc.

9. After unloading from vessel.

1. Full containers/etc. are automatically place at port / terminal, until customs / agencies has identify who, what and etc. It could only pick-up by trucker with access permits.
2. LCL cargo are automatically place at CFS warehouse, until customs / agencies has identify who, what and etc. It could only pick-up by you or designate individual / trucker.
3. Terminal/warehouse are chosen by issuer bl / an / vessel / exam-site / customs / etc, depending who has space available, convenient and etc (99%, import has no say-so).
4. Vessel will contact issuer an and trans-loaded (shuttle) to CFS warehouse / terminal. It's trans-loaded to closest xyz address on your Bill of Lading / arrival-notice

10. Before you could receive or pick-up or truck your cargo to final destination:

1. You and your-warehouse/port will be receiving freight-released from issuer arrival-notice/forwarder/carrier/vessel/etc, only after, you have sat ISF ied arrival-notice.
2. You and your-warehouse/port will be receiving customs-released (aka; pick-up-order/3461/3299/7501/etc) from us/customs, only after, you have sat ISF ied ISF, entry and etc.
3. At the time of picking-up or trucking your cargo, warehouse/port/terminal/etc fee (aka storage/ in- and -out/ forklift/ per-diem/ etc) must pay directly to warehouse/port/terminal

11. To receive customs-released, your cargo must be in, freight-location of your arrival-notice, also.

1. Email your driver-license or your designate pick-up person driver-license or your trucker company info.
2. But, if you require trucking arrangement from us ( LCL cargo), email your info (receiver); full address, name, phone, email and photo-pictures of driver-license.
3. Before/after picking-up/trucking, ask your CFS warehouse/port, if there is any physical/visual/etc damage, if any, contact your supplier / shipper / issuer-arrival-notice / etc.
4. For freight-released, contact issuer of arrival-notice. For orignal- Bill of Lading ( OBL ), contact issuer Bill of Lading /supplier. As for warehouse/terminal, contact them directly.

12. Before paying your supplier, contact us: i) to avoid last minute filings. Ii) to avoid $5,000 penalty and etc. Iii) to coordinate with you and your-supplier and customs. Also.

1. Term of shipping should be cif (incoterm), as you give your xyz address to your supplier: cif means, with insurance and supplier is responsible, until cargo is in U.S.
2. Term of BL should be Telex Release / surrender / express (title of ownership to consignee, cargo paid in full, before leaving supplier warehouse), it's issue by supplier.
3. Normally, having your supplier shipped, it's about 15-30% cheaper (mostly it's labor cost). Sea shipping cost are about $60-125 per CBM (pallet = 3ftx3ftx3ft/up-to 2,000lb).
4. Other reason, it will be cheaper is, most of supplier hires a consolidator (shares cargo space) shipper, from your supplier warehouse to export-port/terminal/warehouse.
5. If hire own, other than supplier, they may do limo service on your cargo, meaning they may transport your cargo only, from your supplier to export port/terminal/warehouse

13. All shipping are authorized by you (importer/buyer), as you paid your supplier/shipper.

1. But, don't expect foreign-person (supplier/ seller/ shipper) in foreign-country to know our import-laws, nor to advise/help you with our domestic-laws.
2. Most of foreign and international shipping are handle by supplier (except domestic), otherwise, you maybe involved with foreign export DPT (government, loader and etc).
3. If you're drop-shipping, give your supplier, your name/company-name and your customer-address. After customs-released, create trucking BL between you and your customer.
4. Do not abbreviate any info to your supplier, such as; city, state, names and etc. (exp: la could be interpretive as Louisiana vs Los Angeles to your supplier/foreigner).
5. If your supplier ask, name of closest us port, just give them your xyz address and name/company, so vessel could unload and trans-loaded to closest xyz address on your bl/an

14. To sum up all the estimate fees.

1. ISF (ie; visa) file, 24 hours before leaving foreign port: ISF filing ($95) + single- ISF -bond or late- ISF ($159) + continuous bond (876. 33).
2. Entry (ie; passport) is file with arrival-notice (ie; final-import-doc): service ($50/$95) + customs-entry ($195) + single-entry-bond or continuous bond ($876. 33) + exam/etc.
3. Bill-of-lading (ie; airline-ticket from origin, pre-purchase): sea shipping is about $60-95 per CBM (cubic metres = pallet = 3ft x 3ft x 3ft / up-to 2,000lb) with cargo insurance (CIF).
4. Arrival-notice (ie; taxi from port to hotel, is pay directly to taxi-driver): first pallet is $130 to $250 and other pallets are $40 to $80, depending on seasons and miles away from port.
5. Warehouse for LCL and terminal for full container (ie; hotel bill are pay, as you check-out): first pallet is about $70 and other pallets are $20-$40. 20/40/45 container/etc are $90-150.

15. To estimate ISF , entry and etc (before/during/after paying your supplier/shipper):

1. Please email proforma/draft/estimate Invoice / Packing List , clear description, materials, usage, photos-picture and etc.
2. After receiving info's, we will be able to consulted with customs, this may take up-to 24 hours. All are subject to change at the discretion of customs, any time/where/etc.
3. Whether your cargo is penny or million dollar (one box or full container), all the fees and import process/time/etc. are similar. Make it your worthwhile, otherwise do not. . .
4. As owner of car, you're responsible for all traffic law (not the seller, nor anyone). As owner of cargo, you're responsible for all import law (not your seller, nor anyone).
5. We can coordinate with you and your-supplier/shipper, email your supplier info (email and contact name, and /or forward last email communication with your supplier), no extra cost