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If your commercial air cargo has arrived at Miami International Airport (MIA) and you haven’t arranged customs clearance, contact a customs broker with the air waybill, commercial invoice, and arrival notice. These give the broker a starting point to review the shipment and explain what is needed for release.
You can request help after the cargo has landed, including when your supplier or another freight forwarder booked the transportation. Tell the broker whether anyone has already filed a customs entry and whether the airline or cargo handler has given you a storage deadline.
A1 Worldwide Logistics provides Miami customs brokerage for commercial imports. Our team can review your shipment documents, explain the required clearance work, and discuss transportation from the airport to your business.
Ask the airline or the forwarder that arranged the shipment for the full arrival notice and the destination cargo handler’s details. If the notice does not identify the warehouse holding the goods, ask the forwarder for the collection location.
A flight-arrival update does not establish that the shipment has cleared customs or is available for collection. The cargo may still be moving through the handler’s receiving process, awaiting entry documents, or subject to a government hold. Get the actual status message so the broker can identify which step needs attention.
At the same time, ask when free storage ends and how charges are calculated after that. Give A1 any deadline or storage notice you have received when you first contact us.
Yes. If you have not arranged US customs clearance, you can contact a broker after arrival. The broker will need to review the shipment, complete the necessary authorization, and establish what remains to be filed.
Booking air freight through a supplier or forwarder does not, by itself, confirm that US brokerage is included. If your supplier says customs is covered, ask which broker is handling the entry and request the entry reference if it has already been filed.
Tell A1 about any broker already involved and share the latest correspondence, including any hold notice. Review an existing entry before filing another for the same shipment.
The following information helps the broker assess the shipment. The exact customs entry documents depend on the goods and the type of entry being made.
| Document or information | What to provide |
|---|---|
| Air waybill | Send the complete document. Include the master and house air waybill details if both were issued. |
| Commercial invoice | Provide the supplier’s invoice showing the buyer, seller, detailed product descriptions, quantities, prices, currency, and country of origin. |
| Packing list | Include the number of cartons or pallets, their contents, and shipment weights and dimensions. Send it if one was issued. |
| Arrival notice | Share the full notice, including the cargo location, handler’s contact information, and any stated charges or collection instructions. |
| Importer details | Identify the business responsible for the import. Tell the broker whether it has imported before and has an existing importer number or customs bond. |
| Existing entry or hold messages | Forward any entry reference, document request, or hold notice already received from a broker, carrier, or government agency. |
If the invoice describes the goods only as “parts,” explain what the parts are and what they are used for. A product specification sheet or clear photographs may help the broker identify the information needed for classification.
When requesting a review, send the documents you have and note anything missing. The broker can then tell you what else is needed before filing. A1’s guide to documents for customs clearance explains the supporting paperwork in more detail.
Your business may need an importer identity record established with CBP before the entry can proceed. CBP Form 5106 creates or updates that record. Having an EIN does not, by itself, confirm that your business is already set up with CBP. If
The broker also needs a customs power of attorney before acting on your behalf. The broker must complete that authorization directly with the importer of record. A freight booking with another company does not replace it.
A customs bond may also be required. If your business already has a continuous bond, including one arranged through another broker, share its details with the team so they can confirm whether it covers this entry.
Arrange an appropriate way to share tax identification and other sensitive account documents with the team.
The broker reviews the shipment information to prepare the customs entry. This includes identifying the importing party, classifying the products, establishing their customs value, and determining the duties and other requirements that apply.
CBP may release the shipment, request more information, or select it for examination. If you receive a request for a product description or supporting document, send the actual request to the supplier so the response addresses the question being asked.
Some goods also require review by another agency. Cosmetics, for example, fall within FDA’s import oversight. The broker may need additional product or manufacturer information to support the entry.
FDA-regulated goods must meet the applicable agency conditions and cannot be distributed into US commerce while admissibility is still being determined. The broker should confirm whether movement is permitted and what restrictions remain. Permission to collect cargo from a warehouse does not necessarily mean it can be sold or used.
If the goods must be kept at a particular temperature, tell A1 the required range so storage and delivery can be checked before making arrangements.
A useful estimate needs the shipment’s actual status. A broker waiting for a corrected invoice faces a different task from a broker whose entry is already filed and awaiting an examination.
Ask what is outstanding, who needs to respond, and what happens after that response.
Tell A1 if the cargo is needed for a production deadline or scheduled delivery. The team can assess the work required and discuss timing, but CBP and other agencies control their release decisions. An urgent request cannot guarantee release on a particular day.
The cargo handler’s free-storage period can be shorter than the time available to complete a customs entry. Confirm the last free date and time for your particular shipment. Storage terms differ between carriers and cargo types, including how weekends and holidays are counted.
For example, the Virgin Atlantic Cargo and Lufthansa Cargo Miami station pages publish different free-storage terms. Ask the handler to confirm which terms apply to your air waybill.
Ask for the broker’s service fee and estimated duties to appear separately on the quote. Confirm whether a required bond and airport collection or delivery are included. Handling, storage, or examination charges may be billed separately, so establish who will collect those payments.
If storage is already accruing, send the latest notice or invoice to the broker. Customs release alone should not be treated as confirmation that storage billing has stopped. The handler must confirm its charging terms and what is needed to collect the goods.
Before sending a truck, confirm the customs release status and any other-agency conditions, along with the handler’s confirmation that the cargo is available. Also resolve any outstanding carrier or warehouse charges and collection authorization.
The driver needs the correct collection address and shipment references, as well as any documents or identification the facility requires. Check the collection hours and whether an appointment is needed.
A1 can discuss airport collection and delivery during the shipment review. Provide the delivery address and explain how the cargo will be unloaded. If the delivery site has no loading dock or forklift, say so before transport is arranged.
A1 Worldwide Logistics is based in North Miami and provides US customs brokerage for commercial cargo. If your air shipment has already arrived at MIA, send the air waybill, supplier’s invoice, and arrival notice so our team can review the work required and provide a quote.
After the quote is approved, account setup and the customs power of attorney are completed, and an assigned broker works on the entry. Let us know about an existing filing or government hold at the start, and whether you also need delivery from the airport.
For future shipments, involve the team before the goods leave the supplier. A1’s air freight services can also support the transportation arrangements when you need help booking the next shipment.
Call 305-821-8995 to discuss customs clearance for your commercial air cargo in Miami.
Regulatory note: Reviewed October 22, 2026, against federal customs regulations, FDA import guidance, and published airline information for Miami. This is general information, not legal advice. Product-specific requirements and the carrier’s release and storage terms must be checked for the shipment.
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