We provide Freight Forwarding and Customs Brokerage services to the University of California system.

American Cargoservice is a full service international and domestic freight forwarder, focused on supply chain and project logistics for energy, industrial, and education customers in the U. S. and worldwide.

We have a contract with University of California (Strategic Sourcing Agreement Number 085/OP/050) to provide freight forwarding and customs brokerage services for all University of California campuses and facilities.

Freight forwarding is a service used by companies that deal in domestic, international or multi-national import and export.

• While the freight forwarder doesn’t actually move the freight itself, it acts as an intermediary between the client and various transportation services.
• Sending products from one international destination to another can involve a multitude of carriers, requirements and legalities.
• A freight forwarding service handles the considerable logistics of this task for the client, relieving what would otherwise be a formidable burden.

American Cargoservice ships freight via air, ocean and truck to and from anywhere in the world.

American Cargoservice holds a customs power-of-attorney for the entire University of California system, meaning we are authorized to arrange customs clearance for import shipments where the University is the importer of record.

• If a shipment arrives in the U.S. with a carrier who does not hold a power-of-attorney, the importer can instruct the carrier to have American Cargoservice clear the shipment. The carrier or importer must provide the necessary documents so that we can arrange clearance.
• If we have not been notified in advance, delays and additional costs can result.

Please notify American Cargoservice as soon as you place an order for something to be sent to you.

If you are sending a shipment to someone, please notify us as soon as possible so we can make arrangements for your shipment to arrive when it is needed.

Please send a commercial invoice and purchase order or shipping memo from the university depending on your campus’ shipping procedures.

If you are unsure how to obtain these documents, please contact American Cargoservice and we can help.

Customs requires a commercial invoice for shipments leaving and entering the U.S. which details the items being exported or imported and the commercial value of each item.

Customs requires a value for all items leaving or entering the U.S.

Even if your shipment does not have a commercial value, you will still need to provide a value for customs purposes.

Unfortunately we cannot predict how long customs clearance will take. How quickly a shipment clears customs depends on the nature of the shipment and customs processes.

By contacting us in advance of shipment, you can help expedite the process by providing the information we need for customs clearance.

A carnet is a document which must be obtained by the shipper (sending party) prior to shipment. This document allows the shipper (carnet holder) to import a shipment into the destination country without payment of duties or tax. The carnet holder must supply a bond promising to pay duties and taxes if the shipment is not properly exported before the carnet expires. A carnet is generally good for six months to one year depending on the country you are shipping to from the date of issuance. If someone is sending you a shipment for demonstration purposes, it is a good idea to ask them to ship with a carnet. This will make the sender financially responsible if the shipment is not properly re-exported.

“TIB”, or temporary import bond, is an arrangement between US Customs and the importer of record, whereby the importer agrees to pay double the usual duty if the shipment is not properly re-exported within one year. If you import a demo shipment under a TIB and the shipper fails to properly re-export it, UCSD, not the shipper, will be held responsible by U.S. Customs.

Please contact American Cargoservice if you would like to obtain a carnet for your shipment.

You are responsible for ensuring your shipment has the correct permits and licenses for import or export.

If you have questions about obtaining a permit or license, please contact American Cargoservice and we can help you.