France to US Customs Import Fees/Descriptions

General Question
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1

Hello All,

I have an incoming sealed Pokémon deck that is being shipped with DHL. I just received a message asking for more information about the item. What is the correct way to describe sealed Pokémon items so that the customs import process uses the correct category for the item? Thank you!

2

This is probably happening because of the CPSC regulations being enforced as of July 8th. I have seen many discussions about DHL being a pain. They are primarily checking for children’s toys and that they meet proper safety regulations. If it is for a personal collection, they might be easier on it. They usually want to know the manufacturer details and what it is being used for. Most try to provide as much info as they can, you might need to use Google. I have a package being shipped soon from Japan with loose cards that I am waiting to see what happens to it. I shipped FedEx though.

Edit: if it isn’t currently being held by customs, you might just need to look up HTS code for trading cards before shipping

3

FWIW CPSC e-filing requirements aren’t applicable for products manufactured before children’s product certificates became a requirement in 2008. So depending on when the deck is from, including year of manufacture may help you out!

4

Thank you for the responses! I will say that DHL seems to be quite the pain as they ask for so much info including SSN, tax records, etc. I will use the following description and follow-up with how it works:

Vintage sealed Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) Theme Deck, manufactured in Belgium in 2003 by Wizards of the Coast/Hasbro. Retail product consisting primarily of printed paper trading cards packaged in a sealed cardboard box with plastic overwrap. Contents include one 60-card preconstructed Pokémon TCG deck, one randomly inserted holographic card, Pokémon game token, damage counters, rulebook, and card list. Used for playing the Pokémon Trading Card Game and collected as a vintage trading card collectible. Imported for my personal collection. Suggested HTSUS classification: 9504.40.0000 – Playing Cards.