Guide: Shipping to and from USA

The US is one of our biggest delivery destinations, as it is the world's #1 importer of Art & Collectibles. Learn everything you need to know about custom clearance processes, tax and duties and insurance certificates in this article!

Art & Shipping - Customs clearance & Duties

CUSTOMS CLEARANCE 

Our shipping rates are particularly competitive when it comes to shipping to the US. The main reason for these low rates is the  volume and frequency of our shipments towards LA & NY, and our very good connection with various air freight companies. Our agents in place can take care of everything until the last kilometers. We take care of all the administrative paperwork with our agents who are in charge of the clearance process- to note  the cost of which is directly included in our quotation price e.g. export licenses, declarations EX1 … The only thing we need is information about the clients.

DUTIES AND TAXES

TAXES : In the US, there is no VAT to pay when importing an item. However there is  a Merchandise Processing fee. A MPF is a fee imposed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for most U.S. imports. The MPF is charged at 0.3456% of the value of the merchandise being imported. There is a minimum fee of $27.75 and a maximum of $538.40 for formal entries.

DUTIES:  Like in every other country, duties differ according to the type of merchandise. HS codes, which are tariff codes, are used in the US to categorise typology of  merchandising. You can find all the information about HS codes on the US government Census website. 

DELIVERY OPTIONS: Several delivery options can be considered for the US. Depending on your preferences and on your client you can choose either: 1- DAT : delivery at terminal before the import procedure 2- DAP (or DDU) : delivery duties unpaid - doesn’t  include the import taxes and duties which need to be paid by the customer before delivery 3- DDP : delivery duties paid - duties & taxes are included in the invoice price - you can get the exact amount of what needs to be paid by your customer

Services provision for shipping to the US

Similarly to other countries, we offer three types of services provision for the US:

FRONT DOOR or CURBSIDE

Our shipper will bring the package to your address, pull the truck up to the front of your house, load the package(s) onto the liftgate on the back of the truck, lower the lift, and push the package(s) onto the sidewalk in front of your house.

WHITE GLOVES

Our Carrier delivery agents unload and place items in the room of your choice. White Glove service generally includes unpacking and removal/disposal of packing materials. 

ASSEMBLY

Assembly is the service of 'Delivery + Placing Furniture + Unpacking + Assembly' in the room of your choice. Please take into consideration that the assembly service does not include trash removal and installation.

CERTIFICATE OF INSURANCE

For White Gloves & Assembly delivery a Certificate of Insurance (aka an COI) needs to be issued in order to enter the building in the US. A COI is a document that is issued by an insurance company for each moving job. This document lists companies and/or individuals that would be covered if the movers cause damage to the building or to its surroundings. If you live in a high rise, apartment building, or a property with building managers, there’s a good chance that the building's management requires a certificate of insurance for any moving company that works on the premises. Please contact your building's management to obtain the COI requirements and forward that document to us. Please also include your name and address (including apt #) in the email. The COI is usually issued within 2 business days.

October 15, 2019