How to write customs descriptions that clear without delays

Short answer: describe each product the way customs would: what it is, what it is made of, and what it is for, with its tariff code, country of origin, quantity and value. "Gift" or "merchandise" is what gets a parcel held.

What customs needs on every line

Five rules that prevent most delays

1. Name the thing, then the material. "Ceramic coffee mug", "stainless steel water bottle", "printed paper poster".
2. Use the country where it was made, not where it shipped from. A print on demand shirt is usually the country of the blank. Our guide to country of origin explains why.
3. Declare the real value. The price the customer paid, in the right currency. Undervaluing is a customs offence, and it can void a CUSMA claim.
4. Never write "gift" on a sale. A sold item is not a gift, and customs treats it as a false declaration.
5. One line per product type. A hoodie and a mug are two lines with two codes, even in one box.

The paperwork itself

• By mail: a postal customs form (CN22 for small parcels, CN23 for larger ones), filled in at the post office or in your shipping software.
• By courier: a commercial invoice (the customs version of a receipt: what is in the box, what it cost and where it was made) with the same details, usually created by your label software from the order.
• For a CUSMA claim: the CUSMA statement that the goods qualify, on the invoice or a separate page, when the value calls for it. See our guide to CUSMA paperwork for small sellers.

Let the data flow

Typing the same details on every label is how mistakes happen. Keep the tariff code and origin on each product once, and let your shipping software pull them in. Othermile keeps them per product, sends confirmed codes back to Shopify and ShipStation, and can make the commercial invoice and the postal form details for any order.

Check your own numbers

• One parcel: the free border fee checker.
• Your store's last 90 days: the free border cost audit.
• Every order, before it ships: Othermile checks each one against your limits and holds the costly ones for your OK.

These are estimates from the official rules, not customs advice.

This guide explains public rules in plain language for general information. It is not customs, tax or legal advice; the exact tariff code, your paperwork and the carrier decide the final amount.