How to Claim Section 321 For Your Small Shipments Into the USA

How to Claim Section 321 For Your Small Shipments Into the USA

通过 Chris Crutchley 开启 八月 28, 2024
Avoid paying duties on small US imports using our section 321 guide.

Section 321 outlines the de minimus amount of goods allowed into the US without incurring taxes. Specifically, if the aggregate fair retail value of goods shipped on one day by one person is under 800 USD, you will not have to pay import taxes. 

For goods imported into the USA, duties vary between zero and 30 percent, with the average shipment garnering a duty charge of around 5 percent. If you are an e-commerce company that regularly ships goods into the USA, you can save big by claiming section 321 on your small shipments.

In recent years, the rise of e-commerce has led to a rapid expansion in the use of section 321 de minimus shipments. While the volume of goods claiming de minimus imported into the US in 2020 was 636.7 million parcels, mid-2024 volumes have grown to 1 billion. 

Unfortunately, certain bad actors have taken advantage of the Section 321 rules to flood the US market with uber-cheap goods. However, section 321 remains an excellent option for e-commerce brands to import more affordably into the US.

Some say it's challenging to apply, but we are here to help you through the rules and procedures you have to comply with.

Read about CBIP's Adaptable 4PL Logistics Services

Is entry type 86 referring to the same thing as section 321?

In essence, yes. Entry type 86, or T86, is the regulatory framework developed by the CBP that allows shipments under a certain value to enter through US customs without being taxed duties.

Section 321 is the specific CBP program that outlines that goods valued at less than 800 USD imported by one person on one day will not incur any duties. 

Beginning in 2019 to simplify the process, entry type 86 (T86) was created to allow customs brokers or self-filers to electronically apply for de minimus entry. You or a customs broker have to register for entry type 86, but it can be done the day before or the same day of your shipment.

Claiming section 321: What you need

#1. An invoice or detailed document outlining the value

Since CBP has a hard cutoff of 800 USD, you need to be able to clearly prove that the value of your shipment falls below that value. This can be an invoice or a detailed description of the goods. 

The most assured way to do this is by attaching an invoice to your shipment for easy viewing at customs. 

#2. An ACE eManifest

To get CBP to clear your goods for section 321 status, you need to fill out an online form called the ACE eManifest. To fill out this form, you will either need to make your own ACE portal account, or you can work with a customs broker who will take care of that for you.

If you are doing it on your own, you’ll need to fill out a report for your import shipment in the portal. The report requires you to fill in various info on your shipment, including the following:

  • Shipment type (which would be section 321)
  • Shipment control number
  • Name of the shipper and consignee
  • Country of origin
  • Total value in USD

#3. Documentation to attach to your shipment

When your physical shipment gets to customs, you need to make sure that you attach documentation stating its section 321 designation, plus the invoice.

#4. Make sure your goods fit the requirements

Non-compliant goods cannot qualify for section 321. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Chemicals such as cleaning supplies that require close inspection at customs
  • Goods subject to anti-dumping duties 
  • Goods that are specifically regulated by the FDA or other similar product safety administration
  • Cigarettes and related smoking products and alcohol

#5. Only make one shipment per day or you will pay duties

This is serious — if you try to make more than one claim in a day and are caught, you could pay as much as 5,000 USD in penalties. Make sure you or the customs broker you work with is following the rules.

#6. For imports coming from China: keep an eye on changing regulations

After the US-China trade war, various laws were put in place to discourage anticompetitive practices. For instance, section 301 places an added tariff specifically on goods coming from China.

At present, section 321 overrides “China 301” as it is sometimes called, meaning that imports coming from China are still allowed under section 321. 

However, with the recent flooding of uber-cheap fast fashion imports under the de minimus law coming into the US from China, the legislation looks to be changing.

 Those importing directly from China: keep an eye out for regulatory changes.

Finding the best way to ship internationally is tough. Choose a 4PL to take charge as your importer

At CBIP, our specialty is helping brands like yours do business all over the world.

How do we do this so agilely? 

First, we work with a globally located network of logistics providers. Do you need someone to help get your goods through customs in Vietnam? No problem, we have local partners that can get it done. Or maybe your shipment is stuck at a port in Texas due to inclement weather? Don’t sweat it; we’ll have a truck over to pick up your stuff and get it moving where it needs to go again.

Agility is only a part of our model, the next part is personalized customer service.

 We’ve opted to stay small at CBIP so that we can serve the brands we work with on a more personal level. Consulting is an important part of what we do to integrate with your team, so we will sit down with you to discuss programs like section 321 that you can use to make your shipments faster and more cost-effective.

The final pillar of our company is technology to centralize all your data. At CBIP, we’ve developed a tech platform that links all your logistics providers in one place, feeds you info and updates from everyone, and shows you options for when you need to make a change.

When it comes to figuring out importing and exporting, we can make it easy. Reach out for a totally free brand-centered logistics consultation on the phone today. 

关于作者

Chris Crutchley

Chris Crutchley is CBIP’s director of operations and finance. He has over a decade of corporate finance and operational expertise throughout the Asia Pacific.

In logistics, Chris strives to continuously innovate and challenge the industry’s norms in order to offer clients world-class service that emphasizes clear communication.

为什么选择CBIP

由最新的物流技术提供支持

亚洲首家碳中和4PL公司

我们是您内部物流团队的延伸

我们的服务

电商物流

全服务物流

咨询

Subscribe Now

从CBIP团队获得关于全球物流与供应链的最新洞见。

与将您的需求放在首位的合作伙伴一起发展您的业务. 安排今天的通话

Please enter a valid business email.










常见问题

每个电子商务品牌或卖家都有些不同。 因此,我们为您提供详细报价的最佳方式是在此处填写我们的在线问卷,从此处我们可以引导您了解 CBIP 物流为您提供的各种选项。

不,我们不收取与长期存储相关的更高费用。 无论货物在我们的仓库中停留多久,库存存储收取的费用都相同。

是的! 我们可以根据需要存储您的库存并为亚马逊补货,帮助您遵守亚马逊关于包装、标签和运输的严格规则和规定。

我们每周按立方米、平方英尺或每个托盘/货架空间收取存储费用。 这取决于客户的要求,因为一种尺寸并不适合所有人。 如果您安排与我们通话会清楚。

我们在物流领域提供各种服务,包括海运、空运、国内交付、仓储和配送以及清关和经纪。

我们提供多种类型的仓库,可根据您的要求量身定制,并且因国家/地区而异,例如 保税仓、普通仓、集装仓、配送中心。

是的,您可以通过使用“登录”功能和访问“B2B”来从我们的平台跟踪它,该“B2B”专用于跟踪您与我们之间的任何货件。 这是一个与一些主要运营商集成的实时平台,因此您可以从这里获得船舶在全球地图上的可见性。

  • 原产地管理:由不可知的 3PL 供应商管理功能支持的数字订单管理和连接的供应商。
  • 货件追踪器:实时跟踪和船舶跟踪,让您知道货物在哪里。
  • 目的地管理:平台管理到配送中心的交付,并在平台上频繁更新。
  • 无纸化处理:我们将文件中心集中在平台上,以便逐个发货。 从这里您可以通过单击获得特定货件的完整文档。

我们为寻求以下任一方面的企业提供咨询服务:

  • 优化其现有运营以提高成本、运营和绩效效率。
  • 扩展他们的 B2C 或 B2B 业务。

是的,我们的咨询服务范围包括完成对现有业务、战略和规划、招标和 征求意见稿(RFP) 开发、供应商选择和过渡以及特殊项目的评估。

每家企业,我们都有一位专门的客户经理,他是您日常运营的联络点。

Greenhouse gases (GHGs) are any gases that contribute to climate change through the effect of global warming (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and more). As more of these gases are released, the atmosphere traps more heat from the sun every year. This is causing the climate to change. GHGs and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are often used interchangeably with carbon emissions when talking about the climate.

与大多数网站一样,CBIP 使用 cookie 来优化您的体验并提供更具响应性的用户体验。 这些 cookie 是安全可靠的,我们仅在 CBIP 组织内使用这些数据。 隐私政策