Moving from Morocco to the United States

Transit time. Several weeks door to door. Ocean transit and the port of entry set the timetable, with an inland leg where the destination is not coastal.

We pack and load in Morocco, the container sails from a Moroccan port to a US port of entry, and delivery to your address follows once it has cleared. For destinations away from the coast, an inland road leg is added after the port.

The packing list is not administrative padding on this route. It is the document your container is checked against, so it needs to describe what is actually inside each carton. Getting that right before the container is sealed is far cheaper than explaining a discrepancy afterwards.

1. Free entry for used personal effects

   Used household goods and personal effects can generally enter the United States free of duty when you are moving there, declared on the customs form used for unaccompanied articles. It is a well-established route, provided the declaration is accurate.

2. Inspection is a real possibility

   US customs examine containers actively, and an examination is at the importer's cost. The best protection is a packing list that genuinely matches the contents, carton by carton, rather than a generic summary.

3. Restricted categories are enforced strictly

   Food, plants, wood products, alcohol and certain other categories have specific controls, and getting them wrong can hold an entire container rather than just the item in question.