US Customs Declaration for Electronics Kits

I just had a customer order returned to be by the U.S. Postal office due to my customs declaration. This order, which I was shipping via the US Postal Service from the US to Canada, declared the contents as an “Electronics Kit”, primarily because that is what it is. You know, resistors, transistors, capacitors and a PCB all intended for the user to solder together themself. I have been using this description for years and has never had a problem. But this time the US Postal service returned it with the note that the problem was: “Vague content description - ‘Electronics Kit’? Be more specific.”

Does anybody have any experience with shipping an electronics kit internationally from the US? What do you declare the contents as?

Thanks!

I ship all over the world using hobby electronics kit. Hopefully this isn’t a sign of things to come.

Perhaps look up the HS code and include that?

I already use HS code 854290. I don’t know how I could have better described the contents. I will try using the word “hobby” too. Thanks!

This is a new thing. I have sent out hundreds of packages over the last few years and last week I had one sent back to me by US customs before it even left Miami. I am assuming that something has changed. Customers are upset though and a bit wary of re-ordering. I did leave off the HS code on all my orders so I am going to include that now. I think something fishy is going on.

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Mine was rejected as well. Does anyone know how electronics kit should be declared to pass US customs?

I have started putting on a description of the actual contents rather than the intended use and I also added the HS code. So now I have PCBs HS Code 84733040. I have not had any further problems. I do have some kits to send out soon so that might be a challenge.

Maybe this: HTS Code: 8542.90
Parts For Electronic Integrated Circuits And Microassemblies

I got one rejected a few weeks ago as well. Put down electronics parts initially. The second time around I listed bq25703a module and it went through.

This is still happening to me. I now use the description “Electronics Hobby Kit” and I just got another returned because “description was not sufficient to determine if it meets US export requirements”, even though I use a pretty specific HS Tariff code 854290. Should I list actual parts in the electronics kit?

Just happenned to me, shipping small electronic kit to Canada from the US. Shipped numerous others before without incident. Will try again with more detailed description.

Didn’t happen to me yet (>1000 international shipments). Knocking wood.

Pre-COVID, I sometimes noticed that packages got stuck at outbound airports for longer than usual, which I suspected to be due to manual inspection.

I always attach a separate commercial invoice that includes full product name and a short description in general terms of what the device does (“dAISy AIS Receiver, navigation radio receiver, receive-only”).

Adding an export control classification number (ECCN) may also be beneficial, especially when shipping to countries that the US sees as “problematic”. If your kit doesn’t have a microcontroller or fancy parts, EAR99 NLR is probably ok. Determining the correct ECCN gets a bit more complicated for intelligent or specialized devices.

Omg … it’s happening again. Does anybody have any idea why the export control data is “missing”?

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It seems to be returned by the Postal Inspection Service. This is the number listed on their website for inquiries. 877-876-2455

This is also worth reviewing: https://pe.usps.com/text/imm/immc1_008.htm which details requirements for addresses.

Yeah … I actually went into the post office and asked them what could possibly be wrong with the customs form. They had no idea, but indicated that the Postal Inspectors seem to be random at times. They pull off the “return to sender” sticker and put the packages back in the mail (technically the label I bought was still valid). This time the packages made it through the postal inspectors with no modifications from what I originally sent. I strongly suspect there is some randomness to their inspection process … my pet theory is it is caused by trainees ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I’m not sure it is actually to do with the customs form. I think it is about the addressing. It looks like they are pointing to the customs declaration with that pointy finger but I don’t think that is what it means. The pointy finger just means “return to sender”.

The “return to sender” sticker covers the address, so it would be hard for you to assess whether it is complete or not. As I indicated, the folks as the post office indicated everything looks correct (after they peeled off the sticker covering the address). ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Agreed, I have no idea if the address is correct. I am just referring to the hand with the pointy figure. It’s not about customs.

The HS code is usually 8 digital long. Yours is 6.
Maybe try this in the future: 85429000

(yes I know it is silly…)

“Parts for electronic integrated circuits” is very generic. It could be anything… for a military device or nuclear plant. And the HS code already specifies “Electronic integrated circuits” so they already know that’s the application. So they have no clue about the application and if it meets export restrictions.

Try something more specific:

• replacement part for computer display.
• Integrated circuit module for … 3D printer.
• Electr. education kit for children

In my case, I use for a module the term “electronic sparepart for printers”. I’ve never had a single package returned.

The HS code is usually 8 digital long. Yours is 6.
Maybe try this in the future: 85429000

Ah … fair enough. The database I searched only gave the first 6, but the Census Bureau database actually gives 10 (?!?). I will split the difference and go with your 8 and see how that fairs.

“Parts for electronic integrated circuits” is very generic . It could be anything… Try something more specific

The part I am leaving out here is our the years I have been more specific and less specific and colorfully specific … I can tell you it’s all been rejected. When It gets rejected I try something new. I had a good run using simply the HS Code title, as you see in this instance. The next iteration I am using now is “Resistors, capacitors, diodes, transistors, ICs, and circuit board”. We will see how that fairs. Already got a couple through customs with that.

It’s not returned by customs. It’s returned by the US Postal Inspection Service.

Yes, I am using the terms interchangeably.