On September 18th and 22nd, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued two new regulations directly related to Chinese export sellers. One is a much stricter scrutiny of importer information; the other is a change in the customs clearance system for postal parcels. Whether you use formal customs channels like DHL/FedEx or EMS/China Post parcels, you may encounter these changes.
Let's start with the harshest case: If the importer's information is filled in incorrectly, the account will be canceled immediately.
This regulation, effective from September 18, is based on Executive Order 14411 issued on June 3, which "strengthens customs enforcement."
CBP is now re-verifying all importer registration information (Form 5106), regardless of whether the importer's account was just opened last month or has been open for over a decade. The verification will cover the following items:
- Address: Must be the importer's own actual business address.
- Email and phone number: Must be in the name of the importer; do not use the names of freight forwarders or customs brokers.
- EIN (Tax Number): Must belong to the importer.
Herein lies the problem. Many sellers using DDP or Amazon FBA for air freight and formal customs declaration, to save time, fill in the freight forwarder's address, customs broker's email address, or even a virtual office address on Form 5106. Customs used to be less strict about this, but not anymore. Once CBP determines the information is inaccurate or incomplete, it directly cancels the importer's license without giving a grace period for rectification.
What does it mean if an account is cancelled? Bills of lading in transit cannot be cleared through customs, orders that have already been sold cannot be shipped, and Amazon warehouse replenishment plans will be disrupted—all customs duties, deposits, and compliance responsibilities are tied to this one account. If the account is gone, all of these things will be stuck.
What's more troublesome is that CBP sends the cancellation notice to the email address the importer last registered with. If that email address wasn't actually used by the importer, for example, if it belonged to a freight forwarder, the importer might not even know the account has been cancelled while the goods are already stuck at the port.
Therefore, you should now check your importer registration information: ensure the address, email, phone number, and EIN are all yours, and confirm that you can actually receive emails and calls. Pay special attention to any numbers that were filled in by freight forwarders or customs brokers, as this is the easiest pitfall to avoid.
Regarding postal parcels: the customs clearance system is being changed, and it's not mandatory for the time being.
This is not the same as the previous one; it applies to parcels with a value of less than $2,500 that are shipped via international postal channels (EMS, China Post small parcels, ePacket, etc.).
Starting September 22, CBP officially deployed its new electronic customs clearance system, Entry Type 13, to the production environment, after a test run on July 24. Previously, these small parcels followed a relatively simple postal declaration process; now, it requires a structured electronic data declaration, including the country of origin, product description, 10-digit U.S. Customs HS code (not the domestic HS code), value, and tax rate—all of which must be submitted during the declaration process.
Currently, participation is voluntary, and the absence of customs brokers will not affect normal customs clearance. However, the direction is clear: the postal parcel service will move towards digitalization and comprehensive data collection. After October 22nd, goods enjoying Chapter 98/99 treatment or involving tariff preferences under free trade agreements, or goods requiring approval from other government departments, will no longer be able to use this simplified process and must proceed with formal customs declaration.
For shipments to the US via postal parcels, the product description must be clearly stated, including the product name, material, and intended use. Avoid vague descriptions like "gift" or "sample." The data requirements will only become more detailed later on, so it's much easier to prepare the information now than to add it later.
The common point between these two new regulations
Whether you go through formal customs declaration or postal parcel, U.S. Customs' attitude is the same now: the declared information must be true, complete, and match the person. The old ways of getting away with things are becoming increasingly difficult.
Before shipping, double-check the declaration information and importer registration information. This is much easier than dealing with goods stuck at a US port and having to take corrective action. If you're unsure whether your shipping channel is suitable or how to fill out the declaration, you can directly...Check shipping costsPlease consult customer service while you're at it; we will provide suggestions based on the actual situation of the goods.
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