Invoices

• An invoice must accompany all crates or barrels that come off the ship or plane and enter the customs house. This invoice, at a minimum, must contain the name of the importer and exporter, the port of entry, a detailed description, the quantity and weight, the retail price and the country of origin. Customs can reject any item that does not contain these descriptions in detail. It is important that any importer have a full list of what the items are made out of and the nature of the raw materials that went into the production of the item.
  
  

Special Relationships

• For those countries and regions that have a special trade relationship with the United States such as Israel, Singapore or Mexico, paperwork must be submitted that proves the item a) originated from the country and b) was made in that country. Since tariffs on goods from Mexico are zero, Customs is vigilant about firms sending their goods through Mexican distributors to take advantage of the trading relationship. The items must be made in Mexico and mostly from Mexican products.
  
  

Standards

• Biological items are tightly regulated. Foods such as fruits and vegetables are under quotas depending on the item, and are all subject to inspection by Customs and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Firearms or any "weapons of war" must have an import license, shown upon entry, from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Materials that are considered hazardous are inspected by the Department of Transportation, and a license from them must be shown at the port of entry. Standards are much higher when the item is being sold to the public than when it is only being used in the production of other items. All items such as motors, appliances, turbines and other industrial and consumer mechanical items must pass American standards for energy efficiency.
  
  

Dumping

• Dumping refers to the practice of a foreign firm selling an item at below market price to drive domestic competition out of business. This practice is illegal. This is why all descriptions of items to be sold in retail stores must have their production price, unit price and retail price clearly marked. In some circumstances, Customs will demand paperwork showing the profit a retailer expects to get from the items. The financial state of the market for that item might also be required so as to prove that the items are not being "dumped" on the market.