Disaster! The goods were seized by US Customs!

My friend had a shipment of smartwatches with batteries sent to the US, and the goods were suddenly seized by customs upon arrival at the port!

The reason?  Lack of a "US Representative"! We were completely baffled – we'd only heard of needing a European representative for Europe and a UK representative for the UK, but when did the US start requiring a US representative?

We frantically inquired everywhere, asking several service providers before finally understanding. It turns out that the US FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has very strict regulations on certain electronic products, especially smart wearable devices and medical instruments with batteries, requiring an authorized representative located within the United States. This US representative is specifically responsible for communicating with the FDA and handling compliance issues. Without one, the goods simply cannot enter the country!

Fortunately, we finally found a reliable service provider who expedited the process and helped us obtain a US representative.

Although the goods were eventually released, the delay of over a week resulted in thousands of dollars in demurrage and expedited service fees – a truly painful expense! So now I remind everyone I meet: If your product contains batteries, especially smart devices or medical-related products, be sure to clarify whether a US representative is required before shipping!

Export requirements are becoming increasingly detailed, so don't take any chances. It's much better to spend a small amount of money to register in advance than to have your goods seized and then try to fix the problem later.