1. VACIS EXAM (Basic Inspection)

The most basic inspection method of the US Customs is to require the shipper to provide relevant documents required for customs clearance (including customs manifest and clearance documents, etc.) for customs clearance review; It is usually completed within 24 hours after the ship docks at the destination port. This kind of verification is similar to encountering a police officer on the street, who needs to check if there are any issues with your ID information.

2. CET (Machine Scanning Inspection)

This type of inspection is also known as non-invasive inspection (NI). Generally, containers arriving at the port need to be scanned by X-ray machines at the port, and customs personnel only need to look at the pictures. Generally, after the container arrives at the port and can be picked up, it will be completed within three to five working days, and the customs will issue instructions for release or manual inspection. This kind of inspection is like taking the subway in China, where you usually require your backpack to be scanned by the machine before entering the station.

The above two types of inspections are some common inspection methods in the United States, which occur almost every moment. These inspections do not affect the normal transportation time, but the two inspections introduced next are relatively stricter.

3. Tail Gate (Open Cabinet Inspection)

After the container is inspected by the X-ray machine at the port, if the customs personnel still have doubts, they will open the seal of the container and push open the door to look inside. However, this type of inspection usually does not completely open the boxes inside the container, only a simple inspection. If everything is normal, it will be released. If there are problems, it will be upgraded to the last inspection method.

4. MET (Manual Inspection)

This type of inspection is the strictest inspection method for US shipping. The entire container will be transported by customs to a designated inspection location for centralized unpacking inspection by SCE. SCE is a private company authorized by customs and is divided into 1/3 unpacking inspection, 1/2 unpacking inspection, and Full inspection. The inspection time will also be affected by many different factors, such as whether it is the peak season for inspection, whether the goods involve the need for certification, whether there are sensitive product names. Generally, the customs will provide inspection results within 7 to 15 working days (the time limit may be extended during peak season) from the beginning of inspection