How do I request a new product type for customs?
When declaring your items for customs, if you cannot find a category that fits your item, you can request that a new product type be added. Our staff will review your request and either approve or reject it. Over time, as our database grows, we expect fewer requests will be necessary.
To use this feature effectively, you must first research and select the HS code that best fits your item. Please refer to our guide, "How do I find the correct HS code?" for assistance.
Once you have identified the correct code, you will then need to enter the HS code and provide a "Product Type" (the description that will appear on the shipping label). Because this text is used for official customs documentation, we have specific rules to ensure your request is approved. Please see the guidelines below on how to write product types.
Important Note: Requests are not added automatically. Our staff manually reviews each one, and we will notify you via email and website notification once it has been approved or rejected. Because of this processing time, we recommend only using this feature if there is truly no suitable existing category for your item.
Guidelines for Writing Product Types
To ensure your request is reviewed and approved quickly, please follow these formatting guidelines:
Be specific but concise: Descriptions must be clear enough for customs, but short enough to fit on a shipping label without being cut off. (Note: Our system may append additional mandatory information regarding batteries or materials to the end of your declaration).
Sentence Case: Start with a capital letter and use lowercase for the rest.
Correct: Figure, plastic
Incorrect: Figure, Plastic
Punctuation: If you need to include a material or additional clarification, use a comma. Do not use brackets or parentheses.
Correct: Figure, plastic
Incorrect: Figure (plastic)
Material Information: Only include the material in the product name if it is required for that specific HS code. (If it isn’t required, you may still include it if you wish).
Excluded Information: Do not include details about the item being used, or the presence of batteries, alcohol, or ethanol. Our system handles these automatically based on other parts of your declaration.
High-Value Items: If an item is valued over $500 USD, consider being slightly more descriptive to help with customs clearance.
Generic Descriptions: Do not include character names or series titles. The description should be generic enough to apply to any similar item (e.g., use "Plastic figure," not "Naruto figure").
Avoid Grouping Different Items: Do not list multiple items unless they share the exact same HS code.
OK: "Book and postcard" (These share a code).
Not OK: "Book and Blu-ray" (These require entirely different HS codes).