Border delays are costly. Fortunately, they are often preventable.

Many border delays are the result of a Customs Clearance process resembling a fire drill. The exporter pulls the fire lever and then everyone at the border scrambles in response.

The “fires” are the pieces of your shipping documents that we’ve never seen before. Anytime a new product or a new consignee is added, there are verifications that must be done to ensure compliance and reduce the risk of a delay. When we have to run those verifications in a short period of time, chances of a border delay grow.

How do we fix the fire drill?

In the foresting profession, there is a process called a controlled burn. Controlled burns are run to reduce the damage from unexpected forest fires. By intentionally burning the fuel (small trees, bushes, etc.), forest fires are less apt to haunt the forest. With Customs clearance, similar measures can be taken through providing products and consignees in advance of your shipping documents.

How?

Xport allows you to input your products and consignees as soon as you know about them. By adding a product or consignee in advance of your shipments, we have plenty of time to run the verifications before you complete your paperwork. Even if you add the product or consignee at the time of your document creation, you give us a few more minutes to verify the items before you hurl the truck towards the border.

Read more about Xport to see how it will reduce fire drills in your Customs process.