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Call Us 24/7/365
+1 (818) 600-0008Licensed Customs Clearance for all U.S. ports (LAX, Ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach),
including entries that are completed correctly the first time
plus explanations for duties/tariffs in plain language.
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A single misclassification in an entry will hold your container on the docks of the ports of Los Angeles or Long Beach for weeks while you pay for additional storage and demurrage. All entries through AEEM Shipping makes sure all filing's are accurate and timely. All aspects of your shipment (HTS Classification, Valuation, ISF & Duty Calculation) are reviewed prior to your freight is loaded onto a vessel and arrives at the Port.
In addition, since one dispatch completes all coordination regarding the drayage, warehousing and trucking of your cleared freight; upon clearance, your freight moves directly from the terminal to your destination. There are no "handoffs" between a broker, trucker, and/or warehouseperson that do not communicate with each other.
Before your freight ships, we review commercial invoices, confirm HTS classification and valuation, and file your ISF (10+2) on time — so nothing surprises you at the port.
We file the entry electronically through ACE and calculate duties, tariffs and fees due on confirmed classification. Every charge is itemized for you up front.
If CBP flags your container for an exam or hold, we coordinate directly with the terminal and exam site, keep you posted daily, and push to minimize storage and demurrage.
Once released, our own drayage and trucking take it from the terminal to your warehouse or ours — one team, vessel to door, with all entry documents archived in your portal.
A Los Angeles–based drayage network built for speed, compliance, and visibility — from reefer cargo to overweight loads.
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Headquartered minutes from the Ports of LA, Long Beach, and LAX — with remote filing at every U.S. port of entry. Local presence where your freight lands, coverage everywhere else.
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Duties, tariffs, and holds explained in plain English by one dedicated contact — with proactive updates at every entry milestone, before you have to ask.
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Brokerage fees, duties, bonds, and disbursements itemized upfront — you see exactly what CBP charges versus what we charge, every time.
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Track entry status, releases, holds, and documents in real time through our portal — with a desk that answers 24/7/365 when something needs a human.
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HTS classification, Section 301 and IEEPA tariff guidance, duty drawback, and refund claims — including recovering duties you may have overpaid.
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Because we run the drayage and trucking too, released containers don't sit at the terminal — they roll straight to your dock, often the same day.
Deep local presence at Southern California's gateways, with electronic remote filing everywhere else CBP operates
Find clear answers to common questions about our port-to-door logistics, tracking, and freight services.
No, you do not have to legally hire a Customs Broker in order to enter an item. Importers may use this service themselves when they file their entries. In reality however, nearly all commercial importers will be using a Customs Broker; entry filing can involve (but is not limited) to ACE access, HTS Classification, Bonding, and personally liable for each and every Declaration submitted. As clearance of shipments from AEEM Shipping is completed by licensed Customs Brokers; your entries are therefore being prepared and entered on your behalf by licensed professionals who are responsible for compliance with CBP
A commercial invoice, packing list, and Bill Of Lading (plus the Carrier's Arrival Notice) are the base documents that you will need in order to complete customs clearing. For regulated goods, we will also require agency-specific documents from government agencies such as the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) prior notice for food items and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) permits for plant and/or animal products. Additionally, there must be a customs bond on-file with U.S. Customs prior to making an entry into the country. When your freight arrives at our warehouse, we will receive all of the necessary paperwork, verify it for accuracy, and then have one of our licensed Customs Brokers submit the entry paperwork.
An Importer Security Filing (also known as ISF 10+2) is required for every ocean import, and has to reach Customs & Border Protection (CBP), a minimum of 24 hours prior to loading onto the vessel at point of export. If the importer fails to make timely or accurate filings, they can face liquidated damages of up to $5,000 per offense. As we get the first 10 pieces of information regarding your shipment from the vendor upon confirmation of booking, we have enough time to file prior to the vessel.
A Customs Bond is your assurance that you will pay all required duties, taxes and fees owed to U.S. Customs & Border Protection ("CBP") on imports. Most formal entries require a bond; generally, if the value of each shipment exceeds $2,500. The Single Entry Bond secures the single shipment. The Continuous Bond can be used with multiple shipments. It requires a $50,000 minimum amount and provides unlimited entries for 12 months. For most importers it will cover its own cost within two or three shipments per year.
The base duty for a good depends upon its 10 digit harmonized tariff schedule (HTS) classification, as well as its declared customs value. The base duty may be either duty free or double digit prior to adding on Section 301 tariffs or other trade remedy tariffs. Each entry into the united states will incur a merchandise processing fee in the amount of .3464% of the entered value. There is a minimum and maximum annually adjustable limit placed on this fee. Additionally, each entry will incur a harbor maintenance fee equal to .125%. the Harbor Maintenance Fee has no cap.
Classification dictates all aspects of both duties and fees; thus, a tariff classification and valuation review must occur for each entry prior to filing.
Most shipments that are filed into Customs via electronic entry filing (ACE) clear Customs within twenty-four hours of being filed. Entries filed prior to arriving at the port of discharge, as well as many entries submitted in advance of their scheduled arrival date, will usually be cleared by Customs before the ship arrives at the dock. This time frame may vary if Customs decides to inspect the shipment or another government agency has placed a "hold" on the shipment. Early submission of clean documentation is one of the most significant factors affecting processing times. That's why these submissions occur prior to the shipment arriving.
If your shipment is selected by CBP for examination, then you can expect exams to vary in nature ranging from an x-ray inspection conducted at a designated terminal location to an extensive or in-depth examination of the cargo which will require that the container be transported via truck to a Centralized Examination Site (CES), and removed. The amount of time you can anticipate to add to the transit time of your shipment, based upon the extent of the exam selected and the existing backlogs of other shipments at CESs, ranges from approximately two to seven business days; as well, you should also anticipate being charged additional exam charges and possibly drayage charges (charges associated with transporting containers to and from the exam site) directly to your company. We are able to monitor the status of your container while it is undergoing an exam at the CES, and we will continue to advance your delivery appointments, thereby limiting the delay to only the period during which the exam is performed.
Yes. We use ACE to file entries electronically and we have remote location filing which allows us to file for one license holder (broker) to allow them to release their clients' cargo at any U.S. Port of Entry from one location. While Los Angeles/Long Beach serve as our home gateway and they account for over 40% + of all containerized importations into the United States; our ACE filing process will cover your importation needs in such cities as Oakland, Seattle/Tacoma, Houston, Savannah, NY/NJ and each Air Gateway.
