Electronics Logistics for US Importers

UN3480 applies to lithium-ion batteries shipped alone, meaning standalone battery packs not installed in or packed with equipment. UN3481 applies to lithium-ion batteries packed with equipment or installed in equipment. The distinction matters because each classification carries its own quantity limits, packaging requirements, and labeling rules under the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations for air shipments and the IMDG Code for ocean. For air shipments, many lithium battery loads are restricted to cargo aircraft only (CAO), and state-of-charge limits apply. We prepare the full dangerous goods documentation package for each booking and verify it against the carrier's acceptance policy before the booking is confirmed.

Any device that intentionally or unintentionally emits radio frequency energy needs FCC authorization under 47 CFR Part 15 or the relevant device-class rule. This covers Wi-Fi routers, Bluetooth devices, cellular phones, wireless speakers, smart home devices, and any product with a radio transceiver built in. FCC authorization is required before CBP will release the shipment, and the FCC ID must be both on file with the FCC and visibly marked on the device. Devices without current authorization are subject to detention and re-export at importer expense. We verify FCC ID documentation during supplier onboarding and confirm the authorization is still valid on each new SKU before the first shipment books.

Section 301 tariffs apply to most Chinese electronics under USTR List 3 (25 percent) and List 4A (7.5 percent), stacked on top of standard MFN duty. The applicable list and rate depend on the HTS code, and misclassification can move a product between list categories, shifting both the tariff rate and total duty exposure. Exclusions have been granted and renewed on USTR schedules, but most are product-specific and time-limited. We track active exclusions across your HTS code list and flag any exclusion expiration or scope change before it affects your landed cost calculation for the next PO cycle.

Consumer electronics fall primarily under HTS Chapter 84 (machinery, mechanical appliances, computers, and data processing equipment) and HTS Chapter 85 (electrical equipment, including phones, televisions, audio equipment, and batteries). The boundary between the two chapters is not always obvious, and a product's primary function determines classification. CBP binding ruling requests are available when classification is genuinely ambiguous. Section 301 rates differ across Chapter 84 and 85 subheadings, so misclassification between chapters can change both MFN duty and Section 301 exposure at the same time. We run HTS classification review across your product mix during onboarding and flag high-risk codes before the first shipment.

Yes. Active anti-dumping and countervailing duty orders cover specific electronics from China, including crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, certain capacitors, and other electronic components. Scope rulings under these orders can be complex, and a product that is out of scope today can fall in scope on a Commerce Department administrative review. We check your product mix against the active AD/CVD order list before each PO cycle and flag any product where scope exposure is a realistic risk, so you can request a scope ruling or adjust sourcing before the shipment books.

Electronics combine high cargo value, tight launch windows, and short product life cycles in a way that makes air a recurring mode rather than an emergency one. A consumer electronics product missing its retail floor-set date by two weeks can lose the launch window entirely, with markdown exposure that costs more than the air freight premium. Replenishment for a sell-through hero SKU that runs out ahead of plan generates more lost revenue than the cost of flying it in. For Taiwan and South Korea origins, where ocean transit to the US West Coast runs 12 to 16 days, air is also the standard mode for high-value components where transit time is already priced into the supply chain model. We plan modal split by SKU across your PO book so you are not making air-versus-ocean decisions under launch pressure.

Electronics are the most frequently targeted cargo category for organized theft on US dray lanes and at interim storage facilities. We apply CTPAT-aligned security protocols on high-value electronics loads: sealed container programs from factory floor to ocean terminal, GPS tracking on dray moves in high-risk corridors, vetted carrier networks with no unknown dray capacity on high-value lanes, and secure facility requirements for any interim storage. For air shipments, we use known shipper status and carrier-certified facilities throughout the chain. We also coordinate with your cargo insurance team on declared value and coverage terms for high-value loads, so your insurance matches the actual replacement cost of the goods.

Ocean FCL from China to US West Coast (LA, Long Beach) runs 16 to 22 days vessel transit, plus 5 to 7 days origin booking and 4 to 6 days destination drayage. Vietnam to US West Coast runs 18 to 23 days transit. Taiwan and South Korea to US West Coast run 12 to 16 days ocean, though most high-value loads from those lanes move by air at 2 to 4 days transit. Air freight from any Asia origin to a US gateway (LAX, JFK, ORD) runs 2 to 5 days depending on routing and carrier. Peak season, including Q4 electronics demand, can extend ocean transit by 5 to 10 days due to vessel rolling and port congestion. Door-to-door planning windows for ocean programs from China typically run 40 to 50 days from PO confirmation to DC arrival.