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Package Held at Customs? Here's What Actually Helps
Package Held at Customs? Here's What Actually Helps
Most holds aren't a lost package. They're a paperwork problem — and there's a real order of operations that gets it moving again.
Most customs holds clear in 1 to 5 days once the missing form, duty payment, or product detail gets fixed. Deeper holds can run 2 to 4 weeks. The fastest fix is almost never calling U.S. Customs directly — CBP mostly handles postal holds and general questions, not your FedEx or UPS shipment's paperwork queue. That queue belongs to the carrier. USPS, FedEx, UPS, and DHL each want something slightly different from you before they'll release a package, and knowing which one saves days.
A customer came into the store last week with their phone out, tracking page pulled up, stuck on "Held by Customs" for nine days straight. They'd ordered wedding favors from a supplier overseas and the wedding was twelve days out. They'd already called the 800 number on the package twice and gotten nowhere useful. That's the normal experience right now — tracking freezes, nobody explains why in plain language, and the instinct is to panic or just keep refreshing the page. Neither one moves the package. Here's what actually does.
Why So Many Packages Are Stuck Right Now — Not Just Yours
If this has never happened to you before and it's happening now, there's a real reason, not bad luck. For years, packages valued under $800 came into the U.S. duty-free under something called the de minimis exemption. That's gone. U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued two interim final rules on June 24, 2026, indefinitely suspending the de minimis exemption for all countries — one covering international mail, effective July 24, 2026, and one covering everything shipped through FedEx, UPS, and DHL, effective June 24, 2026. Every package that used to sail through duty-free now needs a value declaration, a duty payment, or both.
Carriers weren't ready for the volume. NBC News reported in 2026 that UPS is "disposing of" some U.S.-bound packages that pile up at customs hubs without the paperwork needed to clear — after trying to reach the sender or recipient up to three times first. A brokerage manager quoted in that story called the backlog "totally unprecedented." So if your tracking page has gone quiet, you're one of a lot of people right now, not a special case the system lost track of.
That doesn't mean every hold is duty-related. Missing item descriptions, undervalued declarations, and restricted-item flags still cause plenty of delays on their own. But the volume spike this year is almost entirely the new duty rules working through a system that wasn't built for this many packages needing extra review at once.
What Actually Helps, Carrier by Carrier
This is the part most advice skips. "Contact the carrier" isn't specific enough to act on. Here's what each one is actually waiting for.
USPS. Open your tracking and look for a customs note, not just the generic status line. If it says nothing has moved for about a week past the expected delivery date, file a Missing Mail Search Request directly on usps.com — you'll need the tracking number, mailing date, both addresses, and a description of what's inside. For a live person, USPS customer service is 1-800-275-8777, Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 8:30 PM Eastern.
FedEx. Pull up the detailed tracking page, not just the summary — the clearance-delay section usually names the exact reason (missing invoice, missing value, wrong classification). If something's missing, FedEx typically reaches out by email or phone before releasing the shipment further into limbo. Respond fast and completely: full product description, declared value, and country of origin, even on a personal gift. Slow or partial answers just restart the wait.
UPS. Check the tracking portal for a "Pay Now" prompt — a lot of UPS holds are simply unpaid duty, tax, or brokerage fees sitting there waiting for a card number. If it's a documentation issue instead, UPS customs brokerage support can walk you through what's needed. Remember the three-contact-attempt window from the section above — the longer a UPS hold sits unanswered, the closer it gets to return or disposal.
DHL. Watch for an "On Demand Delivery" email or text — that's usually where DHL asks for duty payment or extra documentation before releasing a held international shipment. Confirming through DHL's own notification, rather than a random link, is the safer move given how many customs-themed phishing texts are circulating this year.
Across all four, FedEx, DHL, and USPS are the carriers we work with daily at the counter for outbound shipments — so if you're the one sending internationally from Monroe rather than waiting on something inbound, we can usually help you avoid the hold in the first place. More on that below.
What Wastes Your Time
A few habits feel productive but rarely move a held package any faster:
- Calling CBP about a FedEx or UPS shipment. CBP's general line handles postal questions and broad policy — it generally can't reach into a private carrier's own clearance queue. That queue belongs to the carrier's broker, not a government call center.
- Refreshing tracking five times a day. Most systems update once every 12 to 24 hours during a hold. Checking hourly just adds stress, not information.
- Assuming "stuck" means "lost" and requesting a refund immediately. Sellers and carriers both need a real overdue window (usually 7+ days of zero movement) before a search or refund claim makes sense. File too early and you can end up with a duplicate shipment and a duplicate charge if the original clears on its own.
- Ignoring the carrier's email or text as spam. Legitimate customs notices this year look a lot like the scam versions. Check the sender domain carefully instead of deleting on sight — the real ones often contain the exact information you need.
Customs Holds at a Glance
| Carrier | What "held" usually means | Check this first | Who to contact |
|---|---|---|---|
| USPS | Missing customs form, unpaid duty, or new postal entry review | Tracking notes; file a Missing Mail Search after 7+ days of no movement | 1-800-275-8777 or usps.com |
| FedEx | Missing invoice, missing value, or wrong classification | Detailed tracking's clearance-delay reason | Reply to FedEx's request or fedex.com support |
| UPS | Unpaid duty/tax/brokerage fee, or unanswered info request | "Pay Now" prompt on the tracking page | UPS customs brokerage support |
| DHL | Duties/taxes due, or On Demand Delivery response needed | DHL email/text notification | Confirm and respond through DHL's own portal |
Who Runs Into This the Most
Etsy and eBay buyers and sellers shipping across the border, where a single missing invoice line can flag an otherwise routine order.
Families receiving gifts from relatives overseas — a birthday package from the Philippines or a care package from Mexico can now owe duty it never would have a year ago.
Small businesses importing supplies who used to count on the $800 exemption for restocking and now need to budget for duty on every shipment.
RVers and travelers who had parts or gear shipped to a temporary address and can't afford a multi-week hold before they move on.
Monroe senders shipping internationally themselves. If you're sending the package rather than receiving it, the same documentation gaps that strand inbound shipments can strand yours on the way out. Getting the customs forms right the first time at the counter is the cheapest insurance against this whole situation.
What To Do, In Order
- Open detailed tracking and find the actual hold reason — not just "in customs"
- Check your email and text messages (including spam) for a request from the carrier
- Have the commercial invoice, item description, and declared value ready before you call anyone
- Pay any duty or fee only through the carrier's official tracking portal or app — never a link texted from an unknown number
- If it's USPS and there's been no movement for 7+ days, file a Missing Mail Search Request
- Write down your tracking number and the date the hold started before contacting support
- If you're shipping out from Monroe, bring the item and its real value to the counter so the paperwork is right the first time
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can customs legally hold a package? Most holds resolve in 1 to 5 days once the missing paperwork or payment comes through. Deeper reviews — a flagged item, a valuation dispute — can run 2 to 4 weeks. A package can sit indefinitely if nobody responds to the carrier's requests, which is part of why UPS has started disposing of some unresolved shipments.
Will I have to pay a fee I didn't expect? Possibly, and that's the biggest change in 2026. With the $800 de minimis exemption suspended for all countries, packages that used to clear free now often carry a duty or processing fee before release.
Can my package actually be destroyed or returned? Yes. UPS has confirmed it disposes of some packages after multiple failed attempts to reach the sender or recipient for missing information. Responding to the first request is a lot cheaper than finding out what happens after the third one goes unanswered.
Does this only affect packages I'm receiving, or my own shipments too? Both directions. If you're shipping internationally from Monroe, the same documentation requirements apply to your outbound package, and an incomplete form can strand it in the same kind of hold.
Can The Mail Station get my held package released faster? Not if we didn't book the shipment — we don't have any authority over another company's customs queue. What we can do is help you avoid the hold in the first place on anything you ship from our counter, and once your package does clear, we can receive or hold it for you if the timing is inconvenient.
Stuck on a Hold — or Sending Something Overseas Yourself?
If you're shipping internationally from Monroe, we fill out the customs paperwork with you at the counter, so the value, description, and classification are right before the package ever leaves the building.
The Mail Station 19916 Old Owen Road, Monroe, WA 98272 (360) 805-9250 Mon-Fri 9 AM-6 PM · Sat 9 AM-4 PM · 24/7 mailbox access First month free for new customers Contact us
Related Reading
Customs Forms Explained: CN22, CN23 & Commercial Invoice — get the paperwork right before you ship, so you avoid this exact problem.
2025-26 US Tariffs: What They Mean for Your Packages — the policy background behind why holds have spiked this year.
Shipping to the EU Just Changed: New Duties & Paperwork Rules — a matching set of new rules on the outbound side, for EU-bound shipments.
DHL vs FedEx International Shipping: Which Is Faster? — how the two carriers compare for international speed and reliability.
What Can't You Ship via USPS, FedEx & UPS? (2026 Guide) — restricted items are one of the fastest ways to trigger a hold in the first place.
Is Your Package Underinsured? Declared Value Explained — declared value matters for customs, too, not just for loss claims.
How to Ship to Mexico: Options That Actually Arrive — country-specific paperwork tips for one of our most common destinations.
How to Ship to Canada from Monroe, WA — what FedEx, DHL, and USPS each require for Canada-bound packages.
Ship to the Philippines: Balikbayan & Express Options — a common route for the exact kind of family package that gets held.
Package Holding Service in Monroe, WA — where a cleared package can land if the timing doesn't work for you to be home.
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Written by the team at The Mail Station Monroe — helping Monroe, Sultan, Gold Bar, Snohomish, Duvall, and Granite Falls residents ship internationally and sort out customs paperwork since 1982.
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