A customs examination is a physical or imaging inspection of a shipment ordered by the customs authority. Intensity ranges from non-intrusive scanning of the sealed container, through partial door-open checks, to full devanning at an examination facility, with cost and delay rising accordingly.
The tiers are broadly universal even where names differ: scanner or X-ray checks of the whole box; a tailgate-style inspection opening the doors; and an intensive exam where the container is stripped, goods verified against documents, and repacked. In the United States, intensive exams occur at centralised examination stations; other countries use terminal or ICD facilities.
Fees for handling, drayage to the exam site, and storage typically fall to the cargo interest even when the exam finds nothing. Afterwards the box is resealed with the new seal documented.
An exam inserts a detour into the tracked story: discharge, then a move to the exam facility or a status flag, days of stillness, then release and gate-out. In TrackingMCP that reads as an extended post-discharge dwell, and the practical response is parallel: keep drayage on standby for release and watch the free-time clock for waiver grounds.
Customs procedures and filing requirements vary by country and change over time. This page is general orientation, not customs or legal advice. Confirm current rules with your customs broker or the relevant authority.
A customs examination is a physical or imaging inspection of a shipment ordered by the customs authority. Intensity ranges from non-intrusive scanning of the sealed container, through partial door-open checks, to full devanning at an examination facility, with cost and delay rising accordingly.
Scans can clear same day; door-open checks a few days; intensive exams a week or more depending on facility queues. Season and port workload move these ranges substantially.
The importer bears the exam-related handling, transport, and storage fees under most regimes, regardless of outcome. The duty to pay is procedural, not a penalty.
Track exam-driven dwell →
Port context →
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