A few days ago, a message in the industry fryer! It is reported that several customs clearance offices in the United States were revoked by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) T86 small package clearance qualification and business was shut down, resulting in thousands of tons of domestic sellers unable to clear customs and stranded.

According to industry sources, the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) 's harsh crackdown and a large number of cargo seizures have led some domestic e-commerce sellers to suspend charter flights into the United States, and implicated customs clearance companies are afraid to accept goods. On the 31st of the United States local time, the United States CBP finally had a response.

May 31, 2024 - U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has finally responded, confirming that it is stepping up enforcement in the area of e-commerce to ensure that all small packages comply with U.S. laws. In this process, customs brokers, namely customs clearance companies, have become the object of special attention.

In a statement, CBP said the agency is "taking action to ensure compliance and minimize the use of small packages or $800 minimums."

"While the majority of brokers, carriers and supply chain companies involved in CBP's T86 entry clearance comply with the law, we are stepping up enforcement to ensure that all participants who do not comply are held accountable," the statement added. To date, CBP has suspended a number of customs brokers from participating in the clearance of T86 entry items due to unacceptable compliance risks."

It is reported that the crackdown has led to the closure of about six customs clearance companies, including Seko Logistics. The company's T86 clearance was suspended for 90 days until August 24. Seko Logistics became the only company to date to be suspended from T86 operations for sending letters to customers. The company has not yet responded to a request for comment, but has expressed its disappointment with the unfortunate decision to customers. The company claims a 99.999% compliance rate and has just one week to fix the problem, while expressing its intention to resume business as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, sources familiar with the matter confirmed that customs had indeed conducted a large-scale seizure, although they declined to give specifics, but said the seizure was related to goods from a well-known domestic cross-border e-commerce platform.

In addition, they noted that some large retail brands have also faced problems importing textiles through Los Angeles. Los Angeles airport currently has "two major problems" : first, customs found a large amount of fentanyl and related tools in e-commerce cargo; Second, the shipper declared the value of the goods below the limit of US $800.

The sources also revealed that at least two Asian airlines' cargo is being held up in Los Angeles on a daily basis. In response to this dilemma, one customs clearance company revealed that they are currently considering importing e-commerce products through Canada and then using trucks to transport them across the border - although Canada may face some risk of disruption in the coming weeks.

CBP confirms that the crackdown on customs clearance is under scrutiny

In its statement, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) clarified: "Any brokerage firm that has had its accreditation revoked and its clearance operations suspended will be considered for reinstatement if it can demonstrate to CBP that a remedial action plan has been developed and implemented."

According to sources, congestion at customs depots such as Los Angeles International Airport is increasing due to the current stringent checks on cargo and documents, especially for cargo flights from domestic destinations. The crackdown has also strained air cargo markets on both sides of the Pacific, with some flights and charter flights suspended.

The source also said that U.S. Customs and Border Protection has found multiple shipments that are not compliant and have now been seized.

In its statement, CBP stressed that the assessment and business suspension of non-compliant T86 entry clearance companies is part of its multi-tiered enforcement approach. This action is designed to prevent abuse of the minimum process, protect the integrity of the supply chain, and ensure that companies comply with U.S. legal requirements.

When businesses fail to comply with U.S. laws, it can have profound consequences for the integrity of the trading system and the people who depend on the goods that flow through ports every day. For example, bad actors use the minimum-quota process to ship materials and other contraband used in the production of synthetic drugs such as fentanyl and its analogues into the United States.

CBP's enforcement efforts begin overseas, and we will continue to strengthen our enforcement capabilities to combat minimum-abuse shipping practices in a variety of ways. CBP is committed to protecting the integrity of U.S. consumers, industry, and the trading system, and will work closely with all businesses and stakeholders to ensure continued enforcement actions against abuses of T86 clearance import types or abrogation of customs compliance responsibilities to ensure that this protection is sustained.