What to Know When Importing Furniture into the United States for Commercial and Personal Use

Moving furniture into the United States border is straightforward but you need to look out for some restrictions. Whether you want to import personal or commercial furniture, here is a guide to help you:

Import of Commercial Furniture

Nearly any kind of furniture can be imported into the United States from another country. For the majority of furniture, you don’t have to get an import license. But, you need to get one for some wood furniture. Also, restrictions are in place for this type of furniture.

When importing goods into the United States for resale, you should register as an importer with the United States Customs and Border Protector. This registration is a requirement for all formal entries or imports meant for commercial purposes or those valued at over $2, 500. To ship your furniture, you must provide your supplier or shipper with your unique IRS import number, tax identification number, and social security number.

You may need to pay tariffs to import furniture into the United States, depending on its origin. Also, you must refer to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule or HTS of the U. S. to locate your furniture’s proper HTS code. A Clearit USA customs broker can help you find this code and keep your CBP paperwork in order. If you fail to pay tariffs, you could face serious penalties.

Import of Personal Furniture

If you are moving to the United States and intending to bring your personal furniture with you, you need to fill out Declaration Form 6059B  to cross over the U.S. border with your precious pieces. Also, you need to pay import duties on them. Your import should contain the proper HTS code.

If you wish to ship your furniture to the U. S., you need to fill out an Informal Entry CBD form. You should be notified by your shipper when your shipment arrives in the United States. To retrieve your furniture, you can have your shipper clear it through customs and deliver the piece to your U. S. home or retrieve it yourself at the CBP office. You can release your furniture from customs within fifteen days before it goes to a storage warehouse, which means extra storage fees for you.

Whether you want to ship furniture home from your vacation overseas or import pieces to sell to customers in the United States, you need to follow the customs regulation in the country, so you don’t get flagged and pay penalties. A licensed broker can answer your questions regarding importing furniture into American soil.