U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) is focused solely on preventing smuggling, mis-valuation, protecting the country, and monitoring security risks.
Customs will first put a hold on a shipment, and then decide whether further action, like a customs exam, is warranted. The shipment will either be released, or will be detained for further examination.
How will I know if my shipment is undergoing a Customs hold or examination?
CBP will notify Flexport if there is a hold on your shipment, and we will send you an email immediately. Flexport's email to you will contain all of the information we have at that point: the type of hold or exam, estimated delay, and whether there is a chance of your cargo being opened.
Your Flexport team will check on the shipment’s status continuously, and we’ll update you as we learn more.
As soon as the hold or exam is complete, we’ll send you a message to let you know that the cargo has cleared Customs, and the shipment is back in motion.