A sample that sits in customs for a week costs more than the courier charge, because it holds up every downstream date: the approval, the tooling, the certification booking, the launch. Four details prevent most of it.
1. The right description
“Charger, sample, not for resale” is not enough. Customs wants a description that matches the tariff code: what the item is, what it does, its material and its value. A vague description is the single most common cause of a held sample.
2. A declared value that is credible
Declaring a sample at one dollar to save duty is the fastest way to have it held — and in some markets it can create a compliance problem for the importer. Declare the real commercial value and mark the shipment as a sample on the invoice.
3. Who is the importer of record
For courier shipments the consignee is normally the importer, which means duty and taxes fall on the receiving company. If the buyer is not the entity that clears goods, say so on the invoice — otherwise the shipment is held while the courier looks for a customs broker.
4. Batteries and certification paperwork
Chargers contain no batteries, which keeps them out of the most restrictive air-freight rules — but a sample sent together with a power bank changes that classification entirely. If certification documents are travelling with the sample, put copies in the courier pouch rather than the carton, where they can be read without opening the shipment.
What to include in the sample request
Tell the factory the exact consignee entity, the address, the phone number that customs can call, and the tariff treatment you expect. Then ask for the tracking number and the commercial invoice the same day the sample ships — not the day it arrives.
The cheap habit that saves the most time
Send the artwork and packaging question list with the sample rather than after it. One shipment, one review, one approval round.