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How Can I Prevent Customs Exams?

Customs exams are random, but there are ways to minimize the risk of a customs exam.

How Can I Prevent Customs Exams?

There’s nothing you can do to guarantee that your shipment won’t be pulled for an X-ray, Tail Gate, or Intensive exam, because U.S. Customs selects shipments at random.

However, it is possible to minimize the risk of a Customs exam by:

  • Shipping FCL instead of LCL. LCL shipments are more likely to be flagged for X-ray exams than FCL shipments. 
  • If you’re shipping LCL, choose Flexport’s in-house LCL service. Flexport LCL is selective about what goods are consolidated into an LCL shipment, so if you’re shipping with Flexport LCL, you’ll see a lower rate of inspection and delay. 
  • Participating in CTPAT.

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