Package Stuck in Customs: What to Do and Who to Call

When your package is stuck in customs, contact the carrier with your tracking number, send any missing documents, and pay the duties or taxes due.

Most holds come from incomplete paperwork, unpaid duties or restricted contents, and they clear once the missing piece arrives. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) does not notify you when a shipment arrives; that is the carrier's job, so the carrier is always your first call.

Why is my package stuck in customs?

A package is usually held because customs needs more information, the duties have not been paid, or the contents need inspection.

• Missing or inaccurate paperwork: FedEx names incomplete or inaccurate information and missing documents, such as the commercial invoice, as the usual cause, and holds shipments until everything is received.
• Unpaid duties and taxes: the package waits until someone pays.
• Restricted or prohibited items: USPS lists pharmaceuticals, alcohol, spring blade knives, narcotics and textiles under quota for commercial use as the items most often detained.
• Inspection: a government agency or the carrier may need to review the shipment.
• More shipments now need entry: since August 29, 2025, imports into the United States valued at $800 or less no longer qualify for duty-free de minimis treatment, and CBP rules from June 2026 extend that suspension indefinitely. Bona fide gifts of $100 or less are still exempt.

Check what you can send before shipping on our restricted and prohibited items page.

What should I do if my package is stuck in customs?

Find out the reason from the carrier, then fix that one thing: a document, a payment or a question about the contents.

1. Check the tracking and your messages. Carriers send duty and document requests by email or text. Our guide to tracking international parcels explains the statuses.
2. Contact the carrier with the tracking number. The carrier, or the customs broker it uses, files the entry and can say exactly what is missing.
3. Send missing documents. Make sure the invoice and customs declaration describe the contents and value accurately. With FedEx you can upload clearance documents in the FedEx Import Tool.
4. Pay duties and taxes promptly. FedEx sends a secure payment link that is valid for 48 hours; after that you get a paper invoice to pay at fedex.com/pay/invoice.
5. If you use a third-party logistics (3PL) provider, ask it for the shipment history and which documents or payments are needed.
6. For high-value goods, arrange a formal entry. CBP requires one for goods valued at more than $2,500, either through a licensed customs broker or by filing yourself.

How long can customs hold a package?

For international mail, CBP has 45 business days to process an item and to notify the recipient if it is seized or detained.

If CBP detains a package, it sends the recipient a letter with the reason and a contact. CBP can only investigate a package's status after 45 business days from the arrival scan into customs; if no notice has arrived by then, the recipient can contact CBP through help.cbp.gov with the names and addresses of the sender and recipient, a specific description of the contents with quantity and value, and the tracking number.

Once mail is released, the Post Office holds an international item for pickup for 30 days.

Who pays customs duties and fees?

The importer pays: CBP holds the importer, not the seller, responsible for duty owed.

• Courier shipments: a customs broker hired by the courier usually clears the goods, and the courier bills you for the duty it paid on your behalf.
• FedEx: if the recipient refuses to pay, the original shipper is billed.
• Packages you mail from the United States: USPS says the recipient pays any duties, taxes and fees set by the destination country, and they cannot be paid to USPS when mailing.

The fees, payment methods and processing times are covered in US customs clearance: fees, processing time and payments.

What extra fees apply if a package stays in customs?

Storage charges and possible penalties: the longer a shipment waits, the more it can cost.

CBP says that if the paperwork is not presented within 15 days of arrival, the goods go to a warehouse and you are liable for storage charges. FedEx warns that held shipments can mean delays, additional storage fees and potentially customs penalties.

How can I avoid customs delays next time?

1. Describe every item specifically and state its true value on the commercial invoice or customs form; see how to fill out a customs form.
2. Check the destination country's restricted and prohibited items before you ship.
3. Agree in advance who pays duties and taxes, and watch for the carrier's payment message.
4. Use a carrier or broker that files customs data electronically and can be reached quickly.

Shipping internationally for your business? Shipixy gives discounted UPS, FedEx and USPS rates of up to 75% with no subscription fees. See our international shipping options or read more international shipping guides.

Sources

All sources were checked on October 25, 2026. Carriers change their rules and prices; the official pages below always win.

• USPS FAQ: Customs forms, the basics (held by U.S. customs, 45 business days)
• USPS International Mail Manual 766: retention period
• CBP: Internet purchases (importer liability, formal entry, storage)
• CBP: Suspension of duty-free de minimis treatment (fact sheet, August 2025)
• CBP release: CBP modernizes low-value shipment processing (June 24, 2026)
• FedEx: Customs clearance
• FedEx: FedEx Import Tool
• FedEx: Duties and taxes