Customs Services

Some shipments may require Customs clearance. DHL provides a selection of individualized Customs services to meet Customs clearance requirements. Customs services options include:

• Bio/Phyto/Veterinary Controls − DHL Express can arrange and prepare the related paperwork to facilitate the clearance of any bio, health, phytosanitary, veterinary, quarantine, CITES or similar controls required by any regulatory agency to facilitate the clearance of a shipment
• Bonded Storage − If a shipment is registered into bond and subsequently held for more than three calendar days following the arrival date in a bonded DHL or non-DHL facility, either when awaiting documentation from the receiver or importer, or when clearance has been assigned to a third party broker
• Bonded Transit Documents − The in-bond entry (CF7512) allows non-document foreign-origin goods to travel bonded through the U.S. to final destination for clearance by the importer’s broker or into a Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ)
• Certificate of Origin − Upon request, or when the documentation is missing at origin, DHL Express will attach the required certification for certain commodities to authenticate the country of origin of the merchandise/goods
• Commercial Invoice − DHL Express can attach the document, also known as a Pro Forma invoice, on behalf of the customer when non-document goods are shipped internationally and the document is required by customs
• Export Declaration − DHL Express will file on the customer’s behalf when U.S. Customs requires a declaration to be filed for shipments over a certain value or going to specific destinations
• General Order Warehouse Storage − If a shipment has been in the DHL Express warehouse longer than 20 calendar days and an attempt has been made to contact the importer for the information necessary to complete clearance of the shipment, a variable customs and storage charge will be applied by the General Order Warehouse
• Broker Notification – The DHL Broker Notification or Document Transfer service is used to transfer the clearance documents to another broker to handle customs clearance on the customer’s behalf.
• Import/Export Taxes − Taxes are applied by U.S. Customs on the value of the goods being imported
• Import Paperwork − DHL Express will provide copies of import documentation for records previously supplied to the importer/ultimate receiver
• Multiline Entry − All products require identification and must be classified under separate harmonized tariff numbers. DHL Express will process item entries with more than five lines – for example, one shipment with multiple products or multiple invoices
• Obtaining Permits & Licenses − When requested, DHL Express will prepare and submit any entry necessary to clear customs, including but not limited to the Customs General Order, Fish & Wildlife Service and the Food and Drug Administration
• Payment Deferment − A processing service charge is applied to any import non-document shipment for which DHL Express advances U.S. Customs duties, charges and taxes, and then re-bills a U.S. receiver
• Post Clearance Modification − If an importer has a dispute with U.S. Customs on an entry that was cleared with duties and taxes already paid and freight released, DHL Express will file the appropriate claim with U.S. Customs and monitor the results for the importer
• Prior Notice − DHL Express will prepare and submit a Prior Notice (PN) for all imported food shipments according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) bio-terrorism regulations
• Single Clearance − Under 19 CFR 128 Express Consignments regulations, non-restricted merchandise based on value and commodity can be cleared on a consolidated manifest for more cost- and time-efficient processing. DHL will assess a service charge when the importer requests a single formal entry if the shipment is qualified to be cleared informally off the manifest
• Temporary Import/Export − At the customer’s request, or when the document is missing from the shipment at origin, DHL Express will prepare an international customs document, e.g., ATA carnet, that simplifies customs procedures for the temporary import/export of various goods
• Under Bond/Guarantee − In the event that a customer is not bonded, a single transaction bond will be used in lieu of a continuous bond

To learn more about our Customs Services, please download the DHL Express Service and Rate Guide.