A US-bound container is a CBP customs project, not only a freight invoice. Duty-free treatment applies to genuine personal property when you prove you are establishing or changing residence, not importing merchandise for sale.
What forms and lists matter?
CBP expects CBP Form 3299 (Declaration for Free Entry of Unaccompanied Articles) with a line-by-line inventory describing used household goods. Include brand, model, and serial numbers for electronics where possible. Attach passport identification, visa or lawful status evidence, and the US delivery address that matches your lease or host letter: How to rent a home.
Shipments may arrive unaccompanied by air or sea. CBP may inspect at the port or schedule examination at your residence. Prohibited or restricted items include certain plants, meats, and medications without proper permits; check USDA APHIS rules before you pack kitchen goods or garden tools.
What does not qualify as household goods?
Brand-new bulk purchases, business inventory, and vehicles imported as household effects usually need different entry procedures. Cars typically require EPA and DOT compliance paths and state registration separate from boxes: Register a vehicle. Pets never ride inside the menaje logic; they need CDC and airline rules: Bring pets.
Keep purchase invoices for items you might need to prove are used personal property, not retail imports. Foreign-language inventories may need English translations if CBP asks.
Common misconceptions
“Everything in my container is automatically duty-free because I am moving” fails. CBP decides item by item.
“USPS mail packets replace formal import entry for furniture” also fails. Large unaccompanied shipments need the Form 3299 process.
Summary
Treat household goods import as CBP paperwork with a detailed used-goods inventory, status proof, and a real US address. Separate cars, pets, and commercial stock onto their own rules before the container sails.
Sources
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