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Personal and household effects entitled to duty-free entry need not accompany you to the United States; you may have them shipped to your U.S. address at a later time if you choose.
A shipment of personal and/or household effects arriving in the United States must be cleared through Customs at its first port of arrival. If this is inconvenient, you may make arrangements with a foreign freight-forwarder to have the effects sent in Customs custody (called an in-bond shipment) from the port of arrival to a more convenient port of entry for clearance. (Ask your moving company if they offer this service.)
You must complete Customs Form 3299, Declaration for Free Entry of Unaccompanied Articles, to give the Customs officer when the shipment is cleared through Customs.
It is not necessary to employ a Customs broker to clear your shipment through Customs. You may do it yourself after you arrive in the United States, or you may designate a relative or friend to represent you in Customs matters. If you choose a broker, friend, or relative, you must give that person a letter addressed to "Officer in Charge of Customs" authorizing that individual to represent you as your agent on a one-time basis to clear your shipment through Customs.
All shipments must be cleared within five working days after they arrive in the United States. If a shipment is not cleared within that time, it will be sent, at the owner's risk and expense, to a warehouse for storage until Customs clearance can be made. Articles may be auctioned off if not claimed within six months.
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