How to prepare a shipment for a U.S. warehouse

The short version

• Send a packing list before the shipment leaves: the number of cartons, and the SKU and quantity in each one.
• Write your account name and a carton number on every carton. Label every unit or inner pack with its SKU.
• Send the carrier name and the tracking numbers. For pallets and freight, tell us the delivery date in advance.
• Stock from abroad has to clear U.S. customs, with duties and taxes paid, before it reaches the warehouse.

The packing list

Send the packing list before the shipment leaves, as a spreadsheet. It should show:

• your account name and a shipment reference;
• the carrier and every tracking number;
• the number of cartons or pallets;
• for each carton, its number, each SKU inside and the quantity of each;
• the weight and dimensions of each carton, in pounds (lb) and inches (in);
• any prep the stock needs before it is shelved: labels, bundles, kits or special handling;
• where the stock goes next, if any of it is forwarded rather than shelved;
• anything that needs care, such as fragile items or sets.

Put a printed copy inside the first carton. Together, these are your inbound plan: with it, the shipment is matched, counted and shelved without questions.

Cartons, labels and SKUs

• Carton numbers. Write your account name and “Carton 1 of 12,” “Carton 2 of 12” and so on, on two sides of every carton.
• SKU labels. Every sellable unit carries a label with its SKU. Use the same SKU code on the unit, on the packing list and on your eBay listing.
• One SKU per inner pack. Do not mix loose units of different SKUs in one carton. If a carton holds several SKUs, bag or box each SKU and label the bag.
• Sets. Pack a set the way it is sold, or tell us that it needs to be assembled.
• Weight and size. Mark heavy cartons with their weight. Ask us about carton weight before your supplier packs.

Tracking and delivery

• Send the tracking number for every parcel as soon as the carrier issues it.
• For pallets and freight, tell us the delivery date in advance.

Our delivery address is 2807 Arthur Kill Road, Staten Island, NY 10309. Address every carton and every packing list to it, with your account name on both, so the delivery is matched to your stock as soon as it arrives.

What not to send

• Goods on our list of prohibited and restricted items.
• Stock we are not expecting. A carton we were not told about is hard to match to an account.
• Loose units with no SKU label.
• Shipments with charges to collect. We refuse deliveries that ask us to pay freight, duties or taxes.

Shipments from outside the U.S.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) sets the rules, and a licensed customs broker applies them to your goods.

• No duty-free allowance. Shipments valued at $800 or less used to enter duty-free under the de minimis exemption. An executive order suspended it for all countries from August 29, 2025. On June 24, 2026, CBP made the suspension indefinite in its regulations, with a parallel rule for mail. A shipment of any value is now entered with CBP and can owe duty.
• Commercial invoice. It must be in English or carry an English translation. CBP’s regulation lists what it must show, including the seller and buyer, a detailed description of each item, the quantities, the price and currency, and the country of origin.
• HS codes. Every product has a classification in the U.S. tariff schedule. The classification, the value and the country of origin decide the duty. Confirm the codes with your broker before the goods leave.
• Importer of record. U.S. law says the importer of record is the owner or purchaser of the goods, or a licensed customs broker designated to act. The importer is liable for the duties. A warehouse that stores and ships your goods is normally not the importer. CBP said in August 2026 that an importer’s recorded address must be the importer’s own, so do not use a warehouse address.
• Importers based abroad. CBP’s regulations let a foreign company make entry if it has a resident agent and a customs bond. An executive order signed on June 3, 2026, directs the Department of Homeland Security to tighten the rules for foreign importers of record.
• Duties and taxes. Arrange for the carrier or your broker to bill you. The shipment should reach the warehouse with nothing to collect.

CBP publishes a page on basic importing and exporting. Some CBP web pages still mention the old $800 allowance. The Federal Register documents under Sources have the current rules.

Who does what

Mistakes to avoid

• Sending cartons with no packing list, or with one that does not match.
• Letting a supplier ship without giving you the tracking number.
• Shipping from abroad with duties unpaid, so the carrier asks the warehouse to pay.
• Naming the warehouse as importer of record. It is not the owner, the purchaser or your broker.
• Listing stock on eBay before the warehouse confirms it has arrived.