Let’s imagine a situation: You have been working on a new product for months, researching the rules for importing goods into the US, common mistakes to avoid when importing into the US, and what must be declared at US Customs. You put in the work and the preparation in an effort to best prepare yourself for the day it arrives. 

Then, your first shipment arrives, and just as you are getting comfortable with the idea of being a successful importer and business person, you get a call that crashes your dreams back into reality - your shipment has been scheduled for a Non-Intrusive Imaging (NII) exam. 

An Unexpected Exam

What is an NII, and more importantly - what is it going to mean for the buyers expecting your first shipment? 

In our case, the NII is an excellent example of the kind of issue you might run into on any given shipment. Often called ‘x-ray’ or ‘Vacis’ exams, NIIs are a regular part of importing across the United States. They are entirely unavoidable and unpredictable - as Customs makes the entries chosen for them at random - they cost hundreds of dollars per container, and they can take several weeks to complete. 

That means, in this example, that your shipment has suddenly and without warning been selected for a procedure that will now take up to an additional fortnight to be released from Customs, AND you will have to pay a few additional hundreds of dollars for the privilege - all things you are going to have to explain to the buyer that’s waiting for it. 

Dealing with the Unexpected

The NII is not alone; there are many different ways unexpected things can overturn our best-laid plans. It’s an unfortunate reality of importing and exporting, but it’s also a fantastic case study in how working with a skilled broker can help you prepare for and alleviate the sting of the unexpected delays that are so commonplace when trading internationally. 

There are as many different ways you can be caught by surprise at Customs as there are people crossing. Some other issues you might run into include: 

• Regulatory updates causing delays for uninformed drivers
• The fluidity of priority trade targets
• Unexpected world events like natural disasters or global happenings
• Other ports of crossing and redirecting traffic
• Random checks from relevant Government Agencies

How your business deals with these issues ultimately comes down to two different factors: how well you prepare for the possibility of a delay and how well your business responds when these delays occur.  

Predicting the Unpredictable 

Dealing with unexpected delays is a fundamental part of importing into the US, and the better you prepare for the things that you can and the better you manage what you can’t, the more agile your business will be when things go sideways. So, what can you do to best prepare for unpredictable delays like the NII exam? 

There are a few general strategies that can go a long way towards mitigating or avoiding the damage of unexpected delays entirely, including the following:

• Determine the best ports of entry for your goods ahead of time. The Port of Los Angeles is among the busiest ports in the world for imports and exports, and the backlog of containers to be examined is often weeks long. Working with your freight forwarder to seek out alternative ports and alternative paths in your supply chain could help you hedge your bets while potentially saving you time and money. 
• Work the possibility of delay into your projected delivery dates. At the absolute worst, your client is happy and mildly surprised when a shipment arrives earlier than anticipated, and if you are delayed unexpectedly, you have time to figure it out. 
• Present your documents to your broker well in advance of the vessel's arrival. Customs brokers are allowed to transmit shipment information five days in advance of the vessel arriving in port. That means that the goods can be pre-cleared and ready to go once the container becomes available. 
• Ensure that your designated carrier is ready to go and that the container is picked up, delivered, and returned to the terminal depot within their timeframe to avoid costly demurrage and per diem fees. 

As is often the case, the best way to avoid unexpected delays is to work with a trusted broker who has the experience to both expect them and adapt to them when they inevitably arrive. The team at PCB has over 70 years of experience helping businesses like yours import internationally, and we have seen every size, shape, and duration of delay that can occur at Customs. We know how to prepare for the worst and how to adapt when something unexpected is waiting for your goods at Customs. 

With that knowledge and expertise on your side, a stumble at Customs might just turn into the first steps of a dance.