E-Commerce and DTC Logistics for US Importers

Section 321 is the CBP provision that allows goods valued at $800 or less per person per day to enter the US duty-free and with reduced documentation. It applies to individual consumer shipments shipped directly from an overseas seller or warehouse to a US customer, which is the model used by platforms like Temu and Shein. It does not apply to commercial import shipments where a brand is bringing inventory into the US in bulk for domestic fulfillment. If your business model is importing ocean FCL or LCL shipments into a 3PL or FBA center, your goods enter under a formal or informal entry and pay full applicable duties. Section 321 is relevant to your business if you are considering a China-direct-to-consumer fulfillment model, which carries different compliance requirements including per-unit documentation and carrier certification

ISF (the Importer Security Filing CBP requires 72 hours before vessel departure) covers the shipment as a whole, not individual SKUs, so a mixed-SKU container files a single ISF. The complexity in mixed-SKU shipments comes at the entry stage, where each product line needs its own HTS classification, duty rate, and Section 301 status. We build the HTS mapping during supplier onboarding so the entry can be filed accurately and quickly once the vessel arrives, rather than requiring classification research under port pressure.

Most finished consumer goods from China carry Section 301 duties. List 4A covers the broadest range of consumer products at 7.5 percent, including apparel, footwear, home goods, electronics accessories, and consumer appliances. List 3 covers electronics components, machinery parts, and some industrial inputs at 25 percent. A small number of exclusions survive from the original lists, but most have lapsed. The highest combined duty exposure comes from products that carry both Section 301 and AD/CVD orders simultaneously, which occurs in categories like furniture, steel products, and solar panels. We map your HTS codes against active orders before your PO cycle so you know the landed cost before goods are produced.

Amazon FBA inbound compliance sits between the carrier and your operations team, and breakdowns happen when the container arrives without the right shipment plan, labeling, or pallet configuration. We build FBA inbound plans into the shipment sequence: shipment plan creation coordinated with your Amazon account, FNSKU labeling at origin or at a prep center before delivery, and appointments booked to the correct FC based on the active inbound split. For accounts with multiple ASIN programs, we track FC assignments by shipment plan so containers do not arrive at the wrong building.

The chapters that cover the highest volume of DTC consumer goods are Chapter 61 and 62 (knit and woven apparel), Chapter 64 (footwear), Chapter 85 (electronics and accessories), Chapter 94 (furniture and home furnishings), Chapter 39 (plastics and plastic products), Chapter 63 (home textiles), and Chapter 95 (toys and sporting goods). Each chapter carries its own base MFN duty rate and Section 301 exposure. HTS classification within these chapters can shift the duty rate significantly at the 10-digit level, so correct classification matters both for paying the right duty and for AD/CVD scope assessment.

Q4 is the highest-demand period for both ocean capacity and domestic delivery, and the brands that secure space in advance pay contracted rates while everyone else buys on the spot market. We begin Q4 planning in May, building container allocation against your forecast by lane and vessel string. For accounts with predictable seasonality, we lock capacity commitments with carriers in the spring, which protects you from rate spikes and vessel rolling when August and September sailings fill up. Air freight backup capacity is also reserved in advance for the SKUs most likely to need expedited replenishment heading into November.

Yes. Duty drawback allows you to recover up to 99 percent of paid import duties on goods that are exported or destroyed within three years of the original import date. For e-commerce programs with international return volume or goods sent back to overseas suppliers, drawback filings can recover a meaningful amount of duty spend. The filing requires matching import entries to export records at the HTS and quantity level. For accounts with consistent return volume, we run quarterly drawback eligibility reviews so recoverable duties do not expire unclaimed.

Ocean FCL from China to the US West Coast averages 14 to 18 transit days from Shanghai or Ningbo into Los Angeles or Long Beach, plus 5 to 7 days for origin booking and documentation, 2 to 4 days for customs clearance and drayage, and 1 to 2 days for 3PL or FBA receiving. Total door-to-door planning window on the China West Coast lane runs 22 to 32 days under normal conditions. East Coast routing via Panama or Suez adds 10 to 14 transit days. Peak season from August through October can extend transit by 5 to 10 days due to vessel rolling and port congestion. Air freight from China door-to-door runs 5 to 8 days depending on carrier and destination.