A custom hold is detention enforced by the U.S. Customs Service to ensure the shipments imported into the U.S. comply with relevant shipping laws and international conventions.
Utilizing a targeting system, the inspectors of the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) assign each shipment a score. If the result exceeds a specific mark, more review and sometimes an exam are required. CPB gathers data about a shipment from several sources, including an Automated Manifest System (AMS) and the mandatory Importer Security Filing (ISF) for ocean freight.
Depending on the data and resulting score, CBP may then place a variety of holds on the shipment for additional actions. The 5 distinct types of cargo hold that importers may encounter while importing goods into the U.S. are Manifest Hold, Commercial Enforcement Hold, Statistical Validation Hold, CET Hold (A-TCET), and PGA Hold.
