Anyone do a lot of importing, especially textiles?

[Quercus]

So, I order a bunch of fabric from Taiwan and have it shipped directly to our manufacturer in Canada. Project ends and I've got a bunch of fabric and other materials left over and have them shipped to us in the US.

They arrive on a truck this morning and we unload them. Then, later, a message comes in from our customs broker than US customs needs more forms filled out (isn't that what my broker is supposed to handle before the crossing. grrrr) and that we have to keep the shipment intact and not use anything.

Is this standard? Anyone have any clue as to how long I've got to keep the materials segregated (as if that was even possible in our cramped space) before I can start using them.

[Utah]

Yuck. I would scream at your custom's broker as it sounds like you they screwed up. If it is forms your broker should be able to clear up within 24 hours. I have never had a form problem cause a delay in shipment.

Just curious, what are they looking for? Are they looking for the original billing of lading from taiwan to Canada? This doesnt seem to make a lot of sense.

[Quercus]

Apparently, the issue isn't the fabric I sent from Taiwan to Canada and am now bringing into the US. I have all the docs on that.

Its the small part of the shipment which was fabric originally manufactured in Taiwan, but that I purchased from a distributor in Los Angeles. I had it direct shipped to Canada, but we cancelled the manufacturing contract to turn it into clothing. Now we want to re-import it into the US. They want the original invoices used to bring that fabric into the United States. Unfortunately, I'm two companies removed from the importer so its a bear to find.

Its not like I'm trying to get out of paying the duties on the stuff, but I'm being told that if I can't come up with these invoices I'll have to send everything back to Canada and pay some sweet penalties to boot.

Love bureaucracy.

[Utah]

[ QUOTE ]
Apparently, the issue isn't the fabric I sent from Taiwan to Canada and am now bringing into the US. I have all the docs on that.

Its the small part of the shipment which was fabric originally manufactured in Taiwan, but that I purchased from a distributor in Los Angeles. I had it direct shipped to Canada, but we cancelled the manufacturing contract to turn it into clothing. Now we want to re-import it into the US. They want the original invoices used to bring that fabric into the United States. Unfortunately, I'm two companies removed from the importer so its a bear to find.

Its not like I'm trying to get out of paying the duties on the stuff, but I'm being told that if I can't come up with these invoices I'll have to send everything back to Canada and pay some sweet penalties to boot.

Love bureaucracy.

[/ QUOTE ]I still think your customers broker and/or shipping company should be able to handle this easily as they shouldnt have been able to bring this into Canada in the first place without all the docs. Your customs broker should be hound dogging this as it is what you pay them for. Did you purchase this on an L/C? If so, how did you release the goods without the docs?

Good luck [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Quercus]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Apparently, the issue isn't the fabric I sent from Taiwan to Canada and am now bringing into the US. I have all the docs on that.

Its the small part of the shipment which was fabric originally manufactured in Taiwan, but that I purchased from a distributor in Los Angeles. I had it direct shipped to Canada, but we cancelled the manufacturing contract to turn it into clothing. Now we want to re-import it into the US. They want the original invoices used to bring that fabric into the United States. Unfortunately, I'm two companies removed from the importer so its a bear to find.

Its not like I'm trying to get out of paying the duties on the stuff, but I'm being told that if I can't come up with these invoices I'll have to send everything back to Canada and pay some sweet penalties to boot.

Love bureaucracy.

[/ QUOTE ]I still think your customers broker and/or shipping company should be able to handle this easily as they shouldnt have been able to bring this into Canada in the first place without all the docs. Your customs broker should be hound dogging this as it is what you pay them for. Did you purchase this on an L/C? If so, how did you release the goods without the docs?

Good luck [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

My customs broker is being as much as pain in the ass about this as US customs is.

I bought nine rolls of fabric froma distributor in California and had it put on a truck for Canada. It got pulled off the truck at the border for a random customs inspection and I got charged $250 for the privelege. The docs that were sent included the invoice where I purchased the goods as well as a document stating that the goods were originally made in Taiwan. Canada customs slapped the appropriate duty on the goods and sent them on their merry way.

Now that I want them back, US Customs is ignoring the existing history on the goods and demanding that I _prove_ they are from Taiwan. Why? I have no idea - its not like we have free trade with Taiwan. As far as I know, the duty is the same from Taiwan as basically any other country (except a handful not on MFN status, e.g. Vietnam)

Trying to get those original documents is a major pain. The distributor I purchased from wasn't the importer, they bought a container from a third party.

If my broker can't get this resolved, I'll try calling the customs agent directly and seeing if he'll cut me a break if I can show him all the docs that I do have. If not, its ship $20k+ of goods back to Canada, pay a penalty, re-import the goods I have documentation on and kiss the $4000 I paid for the 9 rolls that are causing trouble goodbye.

Serves me right for trying to manufacture goods in the US, I suppose.

[Utah]

I tried to call my old customs broker to get his take on this but he is out of the office this week. Have you used Norman Jensen before as they are typically very good and they deal with canada - www.ngjensen.com/

I would be going berzerk at my agent for not straightening this out. When you brought the goods into Canada did they not force you to show the original bill of ladening into the U.S.? Did you import the goods into Canada as having come from Taiwan? Do you have any info concerning the origins of the goods or anything identifable?

Also, the tariffs for goods are not the same from Taiwan to Canada and from Taiwan to the US as I used to have to do different customer price books because of this. I can see customs wondering if something funny was going on with the original to avoid tariff.

[Quercus]

[ QUOTE ]
I tried to call my old customs broker to get his take on this but he is out of the office this week. Have you used Norman Jensen before as they are typically very good and they deal with canada - www.ngjensen.com/

I would be going berzerk at my agent for not straightening this out. When you brought the goods into Canada did they not force you to show the original bill of ladening into the U.S.? Did you import the goods into Canada as having come from Taiwan? Do you have any info concerning the origins of the goods or anything identifable?

Also, the tariffs for goods are not the same from Taiwan to Canada and from Taiwan to the US as I used to have to do different customer price books because of this. I can see customs wondering if something funny was going on with the original to avoid tariff.

[/ QUOTE ]

No, I'm using Milgram out of Canada as until very recently the majority of what we did was export materials to Canada and then re-import finished goods made from them.

When the goods were sent into Canada, the only paperwork we sent was the invoice showing that I purchased them in California and a certificate of original that stated they were originally manufactured in Taiwan. No original BOLs/Invoices between Taiwan<->USA.

These goods have already had all duties paid. Someone brought them into the US from Taiwan, and would have had to pay US duties. Then I shipped them to Canada and paid duties for that. Now I want to bring them back and will pay duties on them (good deal for US customs, two duties on a single set of goods).

As part of the shipment, there are 40 or so rolls that I ordered direct from another mill in Taiwan and had shipped to Canada. I'm bringing those into the US now, but we've got all the paperwork on that. Its really just these stupid nine rolls.

I think the problem customs had was that the invoice was pro forma. I own all the goods myself, so the "invoice" was really just a representation for customs of the value of the goods so they could calculate the duty.

Hammer_1111 does.