This guide explains how to prepare and ship nonhazardous environmental, industrial, oil and gas, and energy samples to our U.S. laboratory. Following these steps will help avoid customs delays and ensure your samples arrive for testing without interruption.
Shipping samples internationally requires accurate documentation and the correct shipping setup. Many customers who previously shipped samples without issue are now experiencing delays due to increased customs enforcement. This guide explains how to ship your samples correctly and why these steps matter.
This guidance applies to nonhazardous samples shipped solely for laboratory testing.
1. How Your Samples Are Classified
2. Why Shipments That Worked Before May Now Face Delays
3. Shipping Terms Explained and Our Preferred Method
4. Commercial Invoice Requirements
6. Country Specific Documentation
7. Language to Avoid on All Shipping Documents
8. Customs Broker Considerations
1. How Your Samples Are Classified
The samples you are shipping are classified as nonhazardous industrial, energy, or environmental samples intended only for laboratory analysis.
Common Sample Types
Environmental, energy, and industrial samples:
- Cooling tower water
- Process water
- Wastewater
- Environmental monitoring samples
- Oil and gas production water
- Fuel samples
- Hydrocarbon based process samples
- Industrial fluids from energy operations
Classification Notes
All samples covered by this guide:
- Are nonhazardous
- Are nonmedical
- Are not infectious or biohazardous
- Are not shipped for resale or consumption
- Are sent strictly for laboratory testing
All samples must be correctly classified on your shipping paperwork.
2. Why Shipments That Worked Before May Now Face Delays
Many customers previously relied on U.S. Customs Section 321, also known as the de minimis exemption.
What Section 321 Allows
Section 321 permits shipments with a declared value of 800 USD or less to enter the United States duty free under a simplified customs process.
Why Enforcement Has Increased
For laboratory sample shipments, Section 321 is no longer applied in the same way. As a result:
- Shipments are reviewed more closely
- Repeat shipments receive additional scrutiny
- Incorrect or vague classifications are flagged
- Missing or unclear paperwork causes delays
- Some shipments are reassessed for duties
Even if your shipments cleared easily in the past, Section 321 does not guarantee automatic clearance. Accurate documentation and proper shipping terms are now essential.
3. Shipping Terms Explained and Our Preferred Method
When booking your shipment with a courier, you will be asked to select shipping terms. These terms determine who pays shipping and customs charges.
Required Shipping Method: Delivered Duty Paid (DDP)/Free Domicile (FD)
DDP/ FD is our preferred shipping method.
Under DDP/FD:
- You pay for shipping costs
- You pay for customs duties and taxes
- Charges are billed directly to your courier account
- Our lab receives the shipment without billing delays
DDP/FD ensures there is no confusion about responsibility for customs charges and is the most reliable way to avoid border delays.
If you do not have a courier account, you may:
- Set up a courier account and ship using DAP or Free Domicile, or
- Pre-arrange a Prepay shipment with our team
If import duties or taxes are charged to the laboratory under a Prepay shipment, we will pay them and add the charges, plus a handling fee, to your laboratory services invoice.
Please discuss alternative shipping arrangements with our team before shipping.
Other Shipping Terms and Why They Are Not Recommended
While couriers may offer other shipping terms, they assign responsibility for customs charges differently and do not align with our shipping policy.
Prepay
- You pay shipping
- Customs charges are billed to the lab
Freight Collect
- Shipping and customs charges are billed to the lab
- Requires advance approval
Because these options place customs charges on the laboratory, they are not recommended. Our standard policy is that all shipping costs, customs duties, and taxes are the responsibility of the customer. This is why we require shipping terms that bill these charges directly to the customer's courier account.
In the event that customs duties or taxes are nevertheless charged to the laboratory:
- We will pay the charges so that your samples can proceed to testing
- The duty or tax amount will be added to your laboratory services invoice
- An additional handling fee will be applied to cover administrative processing
To ensure charges are correctly assigned, DDP or FD must be selected, using the customer’s own courier account.
4. Commercial Invoice Requirements
A commercial invoice is required for every international shipment.
If you do not already have a commercial invoice, fillable pdf templates are widely available online and are accepted by most couriers. Many courier websites also provide their own commercial invoice templates that can be completed digitally and printed for inclusion with your shipment.
Your commercial invoice must include:
- Exporter Your company name and address
- Ship To Our laboratory name and address
-
Sold To / Importer of Record Your company
- You remain the legal owner of the samples
-
Description of Goods
- Recommended wording: "Non medical non hazardous laboratory reagents"
-
Declared Value
- Assign a realistic value
- We recommend a value greater than 20 USD as extremely low values may trigger inspections
-
Country of Origin
- The country where the samples were collected
- HS Code See Next Section
5. HS Code Selection
HS Codes identify the type of goods being shipping and are critical for customs clearance
Use the following HS Codes: Shipping to the United States: 3822.19.00.80
Using incorrect HS codes is common cause of border delays
6. Country Specific Documentation
In addition to the commercial invoice, additional documentation may be required depending on the country you are shipping from.
Because requirements vary and change over time, we strongly recommend contacting your courier before shipping to confirm:
- Required documentation for your country
- Whether a customs broker is needed
7. Language to Avoid on All Shipping Documents
Do not use the following terms anywhere on your paperwork:
- Biohazard
- Infectious
- Pathogenic
- Medical
- Soil
Those terms can automatically trigger inspections and are not samples we accept for analysis.
Always describe samples as nonhazardous/nonmedical samples for laboratory testing.
8. Customs Broker Considerations
Most major couriers handle customs clearance automatically. However, depending on shipment origin, value, or frequency, a customs broker may be required.
Confirm this with your courier before shipping.
9. Before You Ship Checklist
Before sending your samples, confirm:
- Shipping terms are DAP or approved alternative
- Commercial invoice is complete
- HS code is correct
- Samples are clearly nonhazardous
- Declared value is realistic
- Courier has confirmed customs setup
Contact Us
Need help from our team? You can reach us in any of the following ways:
Submit a request through our myLuminultra Knowledge Center Submit a Request
Email help@luminultra.com
Phone 1-888-389-4491
Available Monday to Friday, 4:00 AM to 4:00 PM EST
If your request is related to an existing order, service request, or support case, please include as much detail as possible so our team can assist you quickly.