Sending Goods To China Question

[Vinny]

Hi All,

 

I recently shipped out some American Ginseng to China. It was for my Wife's Parents. I had to fill out a Custom Declaration Form. The value of the goods I say it's about $1,000 but I only wrote $550. I marked it as a gift. I was kinda rushing through as the USPS was closing for the day. I have been notified from family in China that Customs is holding my goods. Tax reasons? i'm not sure yet. Did I do something wrong in filling out the form or do Custom's have the right of holding the goods?

 

Thanks,

Vinny

[Randy W]

Hi All,

 

I recently shipped out some American Ginseng to China. It was for my Wife's Parents. I had to fill out a Custom Declaration Form. The value of the goods I say it's about $1,000 but I only wrote $550. I marked it as a gift. I was kinda rushing through as the USPS was closing for the day. I have been notified from family in China that Customs is holding my goods. Tax reasons? i'm not sure yet. Did I do something wrong in filling out the form or do Custom's have the right of holding the goods?

 

Thanks,

Vinny

 

They'll probably pay a fee based on the declared value of the goods.

[Vinny]

Thanks. So in cases like this. Did I do it wrong on the form? Should I have said a lesser value? or is it really not preventable ?

 

Thanks,

[Randy W]

Thanks. So in cases like this. Did I do it wrong on the form? Should I have said a lesser value? or is it really not preventable ?

 

Thanks,

 

 

I've never shipped anything that valuable, so I'm not sure what to tell you to put on the form for something like that. If you want to avoid having to pay the duty, you might talk to a professional about the best way to declare it. Sometimes just putting a lower declared value is good enough.

 

http://www.dutycalculator.com/country-guides/Import-duty-taxes-when-importing-into-China/

[Vinny]

Thanks Randy

[ameriken]

Usually when we send gifts they get there within 10 days, maybe 2 weeks at most and we usually pay the higher Priority mail rate. Earlier this year I sent something to my wife (at the much cheaper first class mail) when she was visiting and after about 16 days she did not receive it.

 

My wife called China Post and was told it was in China customs. USPS said the same thing and said don't do anything further until after 30 days. After 26 days she finally received it.

 

I think packages sometimes just get stuck in customs and eventually end up clearing, I don't know if the postage rate we pay in the US has anything to do wtih it or not, but I don't think you'll have an issues. As for the wrong form, if you were using the wrong form the USPS clerk would have you fill out the right one...had that happen to me once before.

[dan1984]

From what I understand, all packages go through Chinese customs but only a certain number are picked out and screened - for tax reasons or whatever. In the past I've had stuff mailed to me and it was delivered to me at my home no problem. Other times the same thing has been sent and I have to go pick it up at the post office. I've never had to pay any taxes though, just say it is a gift and for my own personal use (which is true), and that's that - just give it to me and say have a nice day. This holds true for small things like Mac n' Cheese all the way up to receiving a rather expensive guitar that I had to pick up at the post office.

[Randy W]

 

Hi All,

 

I recently shipped out some American Ginseng to China. It was for my Wife's Parents. I had to fill out a Custom Declaration Form. The value of the goods I say it's about $1,000 but I only wrote $550. I marked it as a gift. I was kinda rushing through as the USPS was closing for the day. I have been notified from family in China that Customs is holding my goods. Tax reasons? i'm not sure yet. Did I do something wrong in filling out the form or do Custom's have the right of holding the goods?

 

Thanks,

Vinny

 

They'll probably maybe pay a fee based on the declared value of the goods.

 

 

Yeah, shudda said 'maybe'

[amberjack1234]

The wife and I sent about $3,000 worth of medicine to the wife's parents and listed what was inside of the package as required. Over the last 14 years we have been doing this and everything was alright until this last year. It all mysteriously disappeared this year. After the snafu over the American drug companies giving doctors kickbacks for prescribing their medications and cutting the government out of the under the table money there was a law passed last January that prohibits drugs from being sent through the mail to China anymore. So I can't risk another $3,000 to be taken by customs. Everything else that we have sent arrived OK.

 

Larry

[Randy W]

The wife and I sent about $3,000 worth of medicine to the wife's parents and listed what was inside of the package as required. Over the last 14 years we have been doing this and everything was alright until this last year. It all mysteriously disappeared this year. After the snafu over the American drug companies giving doctors kickbacks for prescribing their medications and cutting the government out of the under the table money there was a law passed last January that prohibits drugs from being sent through the mail to China anymore. So I can't risk another $3,000 to be taken by customs. Everything else that we have sent arrived OK.

 

Larry

 

 

They will allow prescription medications through only with a prescription, as of Jan., 2013

[dnoblett]

Made that mistake only once when sending a camera to my wife, I indicated a dollar amount on the package instead of simply stating it was for personal use and not giving a dollar amount. She ended up paying a tax for the item.

 

Since then we have shipped all sorts of gifts over there, no tax.