Urgent Concern: LTL Shipment to Amazon FC Showing Customs Clearance Delay?
We've been shipping to Amazon for several years, but we're suddenly facing a confusing issue with a recent LTL shipment. The shipment, consisting of multiple pallets, was picked up and delivered to a nearby Amazon fulfillment center. Everything seemed fine until the status changed to 'Checked In' after several days.
However, upon checking the tracking events recently, we noticed a couple of alarming updates: 'Customs clearance delay' and 'Vessel arrived at destination port.' We're baffled by this—was our shipment somehow exported?
Has anyone else experienced something like this? Should we be worried about our shipment? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Urgent Concern: LTL Shipment to Amazon FC Showing Customs Clearance Delay?
We've been shipping to Amazon for several years, but we're suddenly facing a confusing issue with a recent LTL shipment. The shipment, consisting of multiple pallets, was picked up and delivered to a nearby Amazon fulfillment center. Everything seemed fine until the status changed to 'Checked In' after several days.
However, upon checking the tracking events recently, we noticed a couple of alarming updates: 'Customs clearance delay' and 'Vessel arrived at destination port.' We're baffled by this—was our shipment somehow exported?
Has anyone else experienced something like this? Should we be worried about our shipment? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
18 replies
Jameson_Amazon
Hi @Seller_rqaNgrhvOA6Vr,
Thank you for reaching out about this!
When you have a moment, can you please send me your case IDs for this? I'd be happy to take a further look into those correspondences to see how I can best help here.
Thanks again,
Jameson
Seller_T6i3AJDaUSPMQ
We saw this before a while ago. It was not even an international shipment, so like you made no sense. Was it actually Amazon or a 3rd party carrier that picked it? If 3rd party, use the PRO# to track it on their website. In our case, it was just a glitch. It corrected itself on SC in a few days.
Seller_8ESHZD3bXlVUv
This is happening to our last FBA shipment as well. Ours went to RDU4 and was delivered on 8/1. It was fine for weeks but now it's showing a customs clearance delay. Status still shows "Delivered" and remains unchanged. We are US based and customs should not be involved in this FBA shipment at all. This makes no sense.
@Jameson_Amazon, My affected FBA shipment ID is FBA186FKTRDJ. I don't have a case ID yet, but am opening one now. I'll add my case number here when I've done so. Hope you can escalate this problem from OP more quickly as it appears to affect more than just one FBA seller.
Seller_keSnEDesLFVwv
It might mean literally what it says. Amazon might be shipping your products overseas.
Consider these facts:
1) Labor is cheaper in China
2) Empty shipping containers have to go back to China to be refilled. If you have the economic power to buy in volume, you can get rates around 1000 USD for a 40-foot container.
3) Warehouses are cheaper in China.
IOW, Amazon may be able to save buckets of money by running an FBA warehouse in China for customers in the USA.
