Customs Clearance Coordination
Coordination with customs brokers and relevant service providers to support timely cargo clearance.
Perishable cargo has less margin for delay than almost any other freight category, which makes customs timing a critical piece of the movement. We coordinate the operational side of clearance — documentation flow, communication, and timing — alongside your licensed customs broker so review and release happen as quickly as the process allows.
What's Included
- Coordinating with your customs broker on documentation needed ahead of arrival
- Communicating cargo status and location to support timely entry filing
- Coordinating with the handling agent on release timing once clearance is granted
- Flagging shipments selected for agency review (such as CBP, USDA APHIS, or FDA) and coordinating next steps with the broker
- Coordinating onward transfer to storage, trucking, or consignee pickup immediately after release
FTE Perishable is not a licensed customs broker and does not file entries or make classification or admissibility determinations. Our role is coordination: making sure the broker has what they need, when they need it, and that cargo movement on the ground keeps pace with the clearance process rather than falling behind it.
Certain perishable commodities — including many plant and animal products — are subject to review by USDA APHIS or FDA in addition to standard CBP processing. We track which shipments are likely to require this review based on commodity type and coordinate closely with the broker and agency contacts so these shipments don't sit longer than necessary.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens to perishable food if FDA prior notice is missing, late, or inaccurate on arrival?
Food shipments can be held or refused, and the clock on shelf life keeps running while storage and re-export costs sit with the importer. Air prior notice typically needs confirmation at least four hours before arrival. Your licensed broker files prior notice and entry — we coordinate timing, document flow, and temperature-controlled holding so product isn’t left ambient while the issue is fixed.
If APHIS orders treatment or destruction of flowers or produce, who pays — and does treatment damage count against the agency?
The importer or owner (or their agent) typically pays for treatment, movement, storage, re-export, or destruction under an emergency action notice. USDA is generally not liable for adverse effects of required treatment on flowers or produce. We coordinate deadlines with your broker, the handler, and cool storage so the decision and the move happen before the product dies waiting.
Related Commodities
This service is commonly coordinated for the following commodity types.
Have a Shipment That Needs Coordinating?
Share your shipment details and our LAX operations team will follow up with next steps.