“Can you please just clear and deliver a cross trade shipment of toys for us, from China into New York?”
Such an apparently simple request from Air Cargo (SCN member, Azerbaijan) to 1Up Cargo (SCN member, USA) may happen many times a day, but this time wasn’t going to be a smooth ride or “Child’s play”.
When it comes to shipping, a lack of certification and dur dilligence pre-shipment can lead to major headaches—just ask the shipper and consignee whose “plush toy” shipment was blocked at a New York airport. The cute and cuddly cargo ended up causing more than just confusion; it racked up storage fees and sent everyone involved into a spiral of frustration.
The issue?
The shipment needed additional safety certification that the shipper simply didn’t have but was absolutely crucial to satisfy customs and the Consumer Product Safety Commission. After over a week of scrambling for certification options, the goods were moved to a bonded warehouse to dodge sky-high airline fees. They stayed there until 1Up Cargo could step in and work their magic. Customs wasn’t about to let things slide, though—they collected samples, ran tests, and eventually seized the goods after finding some violations.
The next move?
1Up Cargo had to go through the process of applying for partial destruction of the shipment to free up the compliant goods. After what felt like an eternity (two months, to be exact), Customs finally gave the green light, and the seized goods met their fate, while the rest of the goods went out for delivery
This might sound like a quick recap, but it involved countless emails, phone calls, and a lot of patience with customs departments, destruction agencies—all of whom were far more concerned with child safety than the mounting storage costs. Above all, between origin and destination agents as they transmitted information, requests and costs to the importer and exporter.
Looking back
it’s clear: every product needs a thorough pre-shipment check to meet all documentary requirements. But, as any forwarder knows, it’s all too easy to get stuck in a situation where importers didn’t do their homework, turning that “all-inclusive” shipping quote into a bad joke.
Thankfully, when you’ve got a trustworthy agent like 1Up Cargo and also Air Cargo, things go a whole lot smoother. They coordinated with U.S. authorities to clear the compliant goods and handle the destruction of the rest. Meanwhile, Air Cargo Azerbaijan made sure the client understood the full implications, from extra costs to the loss of non-compliant goods.
Imagine how differently this could’ve gone if stress and distrust between shippers and forwarders had taken over. A big shoutout to both agents for their professionalism and cool heads under pressure. In the end, collaboration and trust saved the day!
