US Customs selects containers for physical examination with no predictability, and the shipper pays $1,000-$2,500 per exam plus weeks of demurrage while their cargo sits untouched

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) randomly or risk-selects approximately 3-5% of import containers for physical examination. When a container is flagged, it must be transported from the port terminal to a Centralized Examination Station (CES), unstuffed, inspected, restuffed, and returned. The shipper pays for all of it: the transfer fee, the chassis rental during the exam period, the CES unstuffing and restuffing labor ($1,000-$2,500 depending on container size and cargo type), and the demurrage that accrues at the port while the container awaits and undergoes inspection. A routine intensive exam takes 4 to 5 business days, but if the port exam site is backed up or documentation issues arise, the process can stretch to 2 to 3 weeks. The financial impact on a small importer is devastating. A 40-foot container of consumer goods worth $30,000 can easily accumulate $3,000 to $5,000 in exam-related costs — over 10% of the cargo value. The importer has no ability to predict which containers will be selected, so they cannot price this risk into their landed cost calculations with any precision. Retail importers bringing in seasonal merchandise face the worst scenario: their holiday inventory sits in a CES for three weeks during peak season, arrives too late to sell, and they still owe the exam fees plus the demurrage. The problem persists because CBP's targeting algorithms are opaque, and shippers have no mechanism to pre-clear or expedite examinations. The Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) program theoretically provides reduced examination rates for trusted importers, but members report that the reduction is marginal and inconsistent. CES facilities are privately operated and have no regulated fee schedule, so costs vary wildly between ports. The 2025 tariff escalations have tightened customs scrutiny further, with importers reporting increased inspection rates and longer processing times as CBP verifies tariff classifications and country-of-origin declarations on goods subject to new duties.