How Long Does USPS Customs Take to Process a Package

A USPS international package with clean paperwork and nothing restricted inside usually clears U.S. customs in one to three business days after it reaches an International Mail Facility. That is the answer to how long USPS customs takes to process a package in the ordinary case. When something triggers a closer look, the wait grows: Customs and Border Protection warns that written notification of a detained package can take up to 30 to 45 business days.¹

The Normal Timeframe

Once an international package lands in the United States, USPS routes it to one of its International Service Centers for initial screening and hands it to CBP for examination. Officers check documentation, look for prohibited items, assess any duties, and either release the package back into the USPS delivery network or hold it for a closer look. For products regulated by other agencies, CBP refers them for further review.²

Most personal shipments with a clear customs declaration, contents that don’t require special permits, and no other red flags move through this pipeline in one to three business days. If CBP opened the package during examination, you’ll see colored tape printed with “Examined by CBP” when it arrives.³

Peak periods stretch the baseline. Holiday shipping, large sales events, and sudden e-commerce surges push routine clearance beyond three days even for packages with no issues. A package arriving in December or early January needs a longer runway.

What Slows a Package Down

Incomplete paperwork is the most common reason packages get stuck. Every international shipment needs a customs declaration form. Missing forms, vague contents descriptions like “gift” or “stuff” instead of “cotton t-shirt” or “ceramic mug,” wrong values, missing tariff codes, and a blank country of origin all give CBP a reason to hold the package.

Certain goods draw extra scrutiny no matter how well the paperwork is filled out. Fresh fruits and vegetables get inspected for agricultural pests. Medications, especially controlled substances or unapproved foreign drugs, require permits from the DEA or FDA. Soil cannot enter without a permit. Meat products, including items like bouillon and soup mixes, are generally not admissible.⁴ Electronics, alcohol, and tobacco face tighter review.

Some packages are pulled for random inspection. There is nothing wrong with the shipment, and these checks usually add only a day or two unless CBP finds something unexpected.

If CBP does decide to hold the package, they send a written notice explaining the reason and what you need to do to get it released. Those notices typically arrive within a few days, but the agency cautions the wait can run 30 to 45 business days.¹ A package left unclaimed for 30 days after notification is returned to the sender.

Duties Now Apply to Almost Everything

For years, packages worth $800 or less entered duty-free under the de minimis exemption.⁵ That exemption is suspended. A series of executive orders beginning in 2025, capped by a February 2026 order, eliminated duty-free de minimis treatment for shipments from all countries.⁶

For postal shipments, the shipping carrier or another qualified party collects and remits duties to CBP on your behalf, at the rate set by the February 2026 temporary import surcharge proclamation.⁶ Practically, a $50 overseas order that used to sail through without a charge may now carry a duty when it arrives.

Genuine personal gifts between individuals still get more favorable treatment. Bona fide gifts valued at $100 or less per recipient per day pass through duty-free, though alcohol, tobacco, and perfume containing alcohol worth more than $5 are excluded.⁷ If CBP suspects a shipment is falsely declared as a gift to dodge duties, it can require a formal entry and take enforcement action.⁸

When duties are owed on a mail shipment, CBP attaches a mail entry form and sends the package back to USPS for delivery. Your letter carrier collects the duty at the door, along with a USPS clearance and delivery fee of $9.35 per dutiable item.⁹¹⁰ The package won’t be handed over until you pay. Shipments valued at $2,500 or more require a formal customs entry, which is a longer process most recipients handle through a customs broker.¹¹

Reading Your Tracking Status

The USPS tracking number from your shipping receipt or confirmation email tells you where the package sits in the customs process, though not why. The customs-related statuses you’ll see most often:

Inbound Into Customs. The package has reached a customs facility and is in the queue for examination.
In Customs or Held at Customs. CBP is actively reviewing it. Most shipments pass through this stage within a few days.
Processed Through Facility. The package has cleared and is moving back into USPS delivery.
Customs Clearance Processing Complete. CBP has finished. If duties are owed, they’ve been assessed and the package is heading to your local post office.

If tracking shows “In Customs” or “Held at Customs” for more than a week, something is holding it up. The system won’t tell you whether it’s a documentation issue, an inspection, or a duty question, so you’ll need to ask.

When Your Package Is Stuck

Call USPS first, not CBP. USPS is the intermediary for international mail inquiries and can check status or open an investigation. The numbers are 1-800-275-8777 and 1-800-222-1811.¹² Have your tracking number, sender and recipient details, and a description of the contents in front of you before you dial.

CBP does not typically call recipients. If the agency needs additional documentation, a formal entry, or duty payment, it sends a written notice by mail.¹ Anyone calling claiming to be from CBP and asking for payment over the phone is running a scam. If the hold involves a possible violation of another agency’s rules, notice comes through CBP’s Fines, Penalties and Forfeiture office.¹³

One point that surprises people: USPS delivery-time guarantees generally don’t cover customs delays. Even Global Express Guaranteed, the service with the strongest delivery promise, lists customs delays among the factors beyond its control.¹⁴ A postage refund is unlikely when customs is the reason an express package ran late.

If CBP Seizes the Package

Detention and seizure are not the same. A detained package is being held while CBP sorts out paperwork or inspects contents. A seized package means CBP has determined the goods violate federal law and is starting forfeiture proceedings to keep them. Common seizure reasons include counterfeit goods, controlled substances, and items that violate trade sanctions.

A seizure comes with a formal Notice of Seizure and Intent to Forfeit. The response deadlines are strict and run from the date the notice was mailed, not the date you received it. You have 35 days to file a claim contesting the seizure, which sends the case to federal court. You have 30 days to file a petition asking CBP to return the property administratively, and you can make an offer in compromise at any time before forfeiture is finalized.¹⁵ Miss those windows and the property is automatically forfeited. For high-value goods, an attorney with customs seizure experience is worth the cost.

1
U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Mail – Lost / Missing Package
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U.S. Food and Drug Administration. International Mail Facilities
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Mail – Processing International Mail
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Prohibited and Restricted Items
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Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 19 U.S. Code 1321 – Administrative Exemptions
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The White House. Continuing the Suspension of Duty-Free De Minimis Treatment for All Countries
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Mail – Sending Gifts Not Exceeding $100 in Value
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection. E-Commerce Frequently Asked Questions
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USPS Office of Inspector General. Postal Service Process for Handling Customs Duties and Fees
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Federal Register. International Competitive Services Product and Price Changes
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eCFR. 19 CFR 145.12 – Entry of Merchandise
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USPS. Contact Us
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Internet Purchases – Goods Ordered From Overseas Not Received, CBP Assistance
14
USPS Postal Explorer. 212 Eligibility
15
Federal Register. Administrative Forfeiture New Publication Timeline for the Notice of Seizure and Intent to Forfeit