Where a US buyer imports your goods, your buyer certifies.
You supply the test reports and product data that allow the buyer to issue the certificate before entry.
United States exports
Exporting from Malaysia to the United States
The rules for shipping into the US changed twice in the last twelve months, and the change that matters most to smaller shippers has already happened: there is no longer any duty-free channel into the United States, by any route. ADS ships to the US every week and checks what your product needs at the far end before it leaves Malaysia.
Talk to a logistics specialist
Duty-free small parcels into the US are gone
For years, shipments under USD 800 entered the United States duty-free under what was called de minimis. That is over. De minimis is suspended indefinitely for every mode of transport, including international post. There is no country exemption and no carrier workaround.
Every consignment now needs a customs entry, a tariff classification, a declared value and a party liable for the duty. For sellers shipping repeat volume in small parcels, that changes the arithmetic completely. Consolidation has stopped being a marginal optimisation and become the sensible comparison to make.
Tariff position
We publish mechanisms, not rates
Check the current regime
US trade measures can change faster than a webpage. We check the duty regime applying to your goods when you are ready to ship instead of publishing a percentage that will go stale.
Identify product-specific measures
We establish whether the product falls under a Section 232 measure and how that measure interacts with the other duties applying to the entry.
Check current exemptions
We verify whether the product appears on a current exemption list rather than relying on a historic list from a superseded tariff regime.
Set the commercial position
We tell you what the US buyer or importer is expected to be charged so that pricing and the Incoterm are set against the current position.
Product regimes
Three different regimes, depending on what you make
Food products: freight only.
ADS handles freight from Malaysia to the United States for food products. FDA facility registration, the required US Agent, Foreign Supplier Verification and Prior Notice sit with the exporter and the appointed US-side parties. ADS does not assist with FDA requirements and does not act as a US importer of record.
Consumer products: CPSC
Product-safety certificate data is transmitted electronically at entry, with no value threshold. Children's products require a Children's Product Certificate backed by testing at a CPSC-accepted laboratory. Regulated general-use products require a General Certificate of Conformity based on a test or reasonable testing programme. A button or coin battery can bring an otherwise ordinary product into the regulated set.
Automotive parts: Section 232
The covered-parts list changes, so the mechanism matters more than a static list. The US importer of record declares the applicable tariff line. ADS prepares the classification, origin evidence, values and any required metal-content declarations for the US broker and importer.
CPSC roles
Certification depends on how you sell
The certifier is the importer of the product, and importer does not mean a US-based company. A certifying importer need not be located in the United States or show a US address on the certificate.
The work starts at the purchase order: obtain the correct test reports, product identification, manufacturing dates and locations, and the details of whoever holds the test records before the goods move.
The structure decides the role
The role follows how you sell, not where the party is based.
Where you ship direct to US consumers, you are the certifier.
The foreign seller can use CPSC's Product Registry without a US entity or US importer number and place the certificate references on the commercial invoice at booking.
A consumer receiving one parcel cannot certify, and the carrier's broker does not take ownership of the certificate declaration.
Three roles that must stay separate
Each party has a different legal and operational job:
- The certifier owns the certificate and its accuracy.
- The filer transmits the data into the US customs system, and that is always your carrier's customs broker.
- The importer of record carries the duty and bond position assigned by the entry structure.
ADS is none of the three. We assemble the test reports and product data needed at booking, but ADS does not issue or sign the certificate and does not transmit it into the US customs system.
Operating pattern
A route that can grow with the volume
ADS regularly moves bedding, coffee and automotive parts on confirmed export programmes. A first shipment to test a market is a valid place to start, and there is no minimum volume.
Shipments can begin on express while volumes are small, move into consolidated air freight as they grow, or use sea freight where the volume and timing support it. On consolidated programmes, ADS appoints and manages a licensed US broker for destination clearance and onward delivery.
Role boundary
We work at the Malaysian end, with your US end
What ADS prepares
Classification, origin evidence, shipment documentation, and the product and test data that the US-side entry and any CPSC certificate depend on.
FDA stays outside the service
For food products, ADS provides freight only. ADS does not perform or assist with FDA registration, act as the FDA US Agent, manage FSVP, or file Prior Notice.
US customs roles stay in the US entry structure
ADS does not file the US customs entry or act as the US importer of record. A licensed US broker files the entry, and ADS coordinates with that broker and the appointed importer.
CPSC declarations stay with the certifier and filer
ADS does not issue or sign a CPSC certificate and does not transmit certificate data into the US customs system.
No Section 232 exclusion promise
There is no exclusion process for automobile parts. ADS prepares the entry inputs; it does not promise an exemption that does not exist.
Information boundary
This page provides operational guidance, not legal advice. US requirements change, so the current position must be confirmed for each product and shipment.
FAQ
Can I still ship under USD 800 duty-free to the US?
No. De minimis is suspended indefinitely for every mode of transport, including international post. Every consignment now requires an entry, a classification, a declared value and a party liable for duty.
What tariff will my goods pay entering the US?
It depends on your product and when you ship. The regime has changed repeatedly, which is why we do not publish a percentage. Send us the product and we will check the current customs position.
Does ADS handle food products to the United States?
Yes, as freight only. You and your appointed US-side parties must arrange and manage every FDA requirement independently. ADS does not assist with FDA requirements or act as the US importer of record.
Do I need FDA approval to export food to the US?
FDA does not pre-approve individual food shipments. Depending on the structure, the relevant requirements can include facility registration, a US Agent, Foreign Supplier Verification and Prior Notice. Those requirements sit outside the ADS service.
Who issues the CPSC certificate for my product?
The importer of the product, which does not necessarily mean a US company. Where a US buyer imports, the buyer certifies. Where a Malaysian seller ships direct to US consumers, the Malaysian seller certifies. The carrier's customs broker transmits the data at entry.
Does CPSC certification apply to a single parcel?
Yes, where the product is regulated. There is no value threshold, so one parcel to one consumer carries the same certificate requirement as a container.
Do I need a US company to certify my products?
No. CPSC allows a certifying importer outside the United States, and its Product Registry accepts foreign sellers without a US importer number.
Why would an ordinary gadget be regulated?
A button or coin battery can bring products such as watches, remotes and small electronic accessories into the regulated set. Marketing a product to children can also change which requirements apply.
Can you obtain a Section 232 exclusion for automotive parts?
No, and nobody can offer that exclusion for automobile parts. ADS can prepare the data that the US broker and importer need to make the entry correctly.
Can ADS be my US importer of record?
No. ADS prepares the shipment and entry inputs and coordinates with the appointed US broker and importer, but it does not hold the US importer-of-record role.
Do you handle destination clearance and delivery in the US?
On consolidated programmes, yes, through a licensed US customs broker ADS appoints and manages. ADS remains the Malaysian coordination point; the licensed US broker files the entry.
Is there a minimum volume?
No.
Tell us what you are shipping and where it is going
Send us the product, destination and expected frequency. We will check the current freight and customs position, then tell you which mode fits the shipment.