If you're sending an item internationally, inputting the correct information when filling out your customs form is crucial. If you don't, you may encounter errors when creating your label, or your package may not make it through your destination country's customs department 😅
To help you avoid returned packages or errors when buying your labels, we've put together some best practices for filling out customs forms below.
Be as detailed as possible in your description
Details matter: If your customs form isn't detailed enough, your destination country's customs department may return the package to you or you may encounter an error when purchasing your label. The more detailed you can make your customs form, the better off you'll be!
For instance, if you're sending a pair of shoes, don't just enter "Shoes" in the customs field. Instead, enter "Size 12 Nike Air Jordan 1 Mid sneakers" 😉
Examples of unacceptable vs acceptable descriptions
For some examples of unacceptable (generic) descriptions of items versus acceptable (specific) descriptions, see this table:
Unacceptable Description | Acceptable Description |
Appliances | Stainless steel 4-slice toaster |
Book | Robinson Crusoe hardcover book |
Clothes | 100% cotton men's medium T-shirt |
Musical instruments | Dreadnought six-string acoustic guitar |
Toys | Packaged superhero plastic action figure |
Add a separate line item for each item in the shipment
Different lines for different items: Every item in your package needs to have its separate line item in your customs form. This way, you don't combine any items in a single description field.
For instance, if you're sending a pair of socks along with the Air Jordan shoes we mentioned above, you'll need a line item for the shoes and a separate one for the socks.
Here's where to add a line item:
Enter a Harmonization # for your product(s)
Harmonization Numbers: Countries use harmonization codes to classify products and assign import duties and tariffs. You can find your item's harmonization number by clicking on this button and following the prompts on the website it leads to:
Harmonization codes are required sometimes: Some countries require these codes, and others don't. While entering a Harmonization code isn't necessary for shipping to every overseas destination, it's good to get in the habit of including one so that other countries' customs departments have as much information as possible when receiving your shipments 👍
Include a purchase invoice in your package
Purchase invoices: One last way to provide sufficient information to customs departments is to include a purchase invoice for the products inside your package, that way they can take an immediate look into what kind of product was shipped.
While it's technically not required to include a purchase invoice, it's encouraged to help remove any questions from the customs process and speed up processing times 💪
Your country of origin may not be the country you're shipping from (the U.S.)
Item(s) Origin: When filling out your custom form, you'll need to select the country of origin for your items. The country of origin refers to where the products were made or manufactured, not where you're shipping from.
For example, if you print designs on t-shirts that were originally made in Vietnam, the correct origin country for those shirts is Vietnam, not the United States.
Selecting the wrong origin country can lead to unnecessary duties and customs fees for your recipients 🙈
Check your destination country for any specific customs requirements
Customs requirements for certain countries: One final tip is to check whether the destination country you're shipping to requires anything specific on the customs form, such as the cost of postage.
For example, the Republic of Türkiye (formerly Turkey) requires shippers to add the cost of postage to the item value in customs forms. Shipments that don't display the postage costs on the customs form may be refused at Turkish customs and returned to the sender.
A good (and bad) example of a customs forms
Below are two examples of customs forms for sending a men's t-shirt that is 100% cotton, weighs 5 ounces, and is valued at $10.
Example 1: Correct
Detailed description: In this example, notice how we entered a detailed description of the type of shirt we are sending. We offered as much information as we could, including the kind of material used, as well as the gender specified (a men's t-shirt).
Example 2: Incorrect
Lack of detail: The difference in this example is that we simply entered "Shirt" in the item description field, instead of providing a detailed description of the item. We also failed to include a Harmonization number.