A container that is stopped at the border does not only arrive late. It collects storage charges by the day, and the truck that was booked to meet it drives away empty. Nearly every hold we see comes from one of five causes, and all five can be dealt with before the goods leave the factory.

The description is too vague

«Spare parts» or «samples» tells an officer nothing. Describe what the item is, what it is made of and what it is for: «steel brake discs for passenger cars». A clear description is also what makes the commodity code defensible.

The code is wrong

The commodity code decides the duty rate and whether a licence is needed. A code copied from an old invoice or from the supplier's country is the most common mistake we correct. Our brokers check the code against the goods, not against last year's paperwork.

The numbers disagree

The invoice says 480 cartons, the packing list says 468 and the bill of lading says 20 pallets. Each may be true, but an officer sees three different shipments. Make the documents agree before they are issued.

Origin is claimed without proof

A lower duty rate under a trade agreement needs a statement of origin in the right words from the right party. Without it the full rate applies and the saving is gone.

• Send documents to your broker when the goods are packed, not when they land
• Keep one description per product and use it on every paper
• Tell us about licences, certificates and inspections at the time of booking

Customs rarely stops freight. It stops paperwork.

The value looks odd

Free samples, discounted lines and goods sent between sister companies still need a real value on the invoice. A price of zero invites the question you least want at a border, so state what the goods would cost to buy.