CUSTOMS FORM
First, list what you are putting in the box and its value as you pack in the items, and before you seal the box make sure you’ve got a complete list.
The customs form (available at the Post Office, a half page size white form) has multiple copies, so press hard when you are filling it out.
Under sender’s name: put a little line or N/A in the “business” line, and USA in country line before you fill out the rest of the spaces.
Under addressee’s Name, cross out business and street and just write in the address information between the soldier’s name and the APO zip code, then cross out city and put “APO AE” in front of it and the APO number after it. Put nothing in the “country” line.
Check “airmail priority” (due to security, this is the only way you can send gifts to unknown recipients)
Check “gift”
Skip down to the bottom, sign and date it with the date you will be mailing it out.
Move over to the right and check EITHER “return to sender” (you have to send priority USPS and return postage is paid for you if they can’t deliver it when it goes priority.)
OR check “redirect” and write “commander” or “chaplain” or a specific name you’ve been given and the same APO info, in case your contact is injured and evacuated and you don’t want the stuff sent back.
Insurance is up to you, but I tend not to insure stuff not valued near $100 or if it doesn’t contain CD’s or DVD’s or things more likely to be stolen or damaged.
Finally, you need to fill out the not large enough blank space for
“Detailed description of contents”.
The trick is to categorize your items as much as possible, so you end up with as few lines as possible.
NOTE: if you are sending more than one box that contain different items, put “# 1”, etc. on the box (like under the post office logo under the return address, and put “# 1”, etc. on the customs form for it to the right of “description of contents”. This way you won’t mix up which form goes with which box.
Don’t hesitate to list like items in a row if they won’t fit when written one under each other, like
stationery: 4 boxes 72 pencils, 3 pkgs 12 pens, 2 pkgs 40 erasers,..
or toiletries: 4 deodorant, 6 toothpaste, 1 pk razors, 3 body powder, etc.
or movies: 2 DVD, 1 VHS
or snacks: 2 bags candy, 5 bags microwave popcorn, 4 packs gum…
Then put the total number of boxes, bags, pkgs, loose items in that line in the QTY. column next to it.
IGNORE THE WEIGHT COLUMN.
Put the combined value of everything in each line in the VALUE column.
ADD all the values in the value column for the total value.
IGNORE all the other boxes.
IF you have more questions, just ask patriciaruth.
FORBIDDEN ITEMS:
1. ALCOHOL and flammables (including mouthwash, perfume, aftershave, nail polish remover and nail care products, lighter fluid, butane fuel cans, eye glass cleaner fluid)
2. GLASS containers or other breakable items
3. HOMEBAKED goods (only commercially wrapped food with good outdate can be sent by nonfamily members as many of these items get moldy during the long overseas shipping time and also to avoid unintended or intentional food poisoning)
4. PORK or any pork containing products, even if only used in manufacturing*
5. RELIGIOUS items if you don’t know the person
6. LIQUIDS (lotion, wet wipes, shampoo, conditioner, roll-on/stick deodorant, etc. are okay, but need to be put in ziplock bags in case they leak or melt. Double check caps are screwed on tight.)
7. AEROSOLS (since the London airline bombing threat, aerosol cans of anything cannot be mailed in priority boxes that go on airplanes). Tubes of shaving gel (nonaerosol) and sticks of deodorants can be sent.
8. BATTERIES cannot go IN the device that needs them, due to electrical spark hazard and chemical leak hazard of older batteries. Remove any batteries and include a SEALED pack of new batteries of the size needed.
Also forbidden:
9. TOBACCO
10. firearms and ammo
11. combustibles and explosives
12. drugs
13. PORN
*If you buy jerked sausage, Slim Jims, or like products, be sure they are label all beef, and no pork products are listed in the ingredient label. AND when you write them on the customs form, write ALL BEEF sausage or such, so the box isn’t rejected for loading on the outgoing mail plane.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. Don’t mix FRAGRANT items (soap, lotion, shampoo, nonaerosol air wicks, etc) in the same box with food items as the food will taste like the fragrance and be inedible. Even when it separate boxes, it is a good idea to seal food and fragrant items in zipper lock plastic bags.
2. CHOCOLATE. We stop mailing chocolate candy to Iraq in April and don’t resume sending it till mid-October due to the heat. Temperatures on the tarmac can get over 140 degrees and even individually wrapped hard candy can fuse into a solid, inedible mass. Other items, like stick deodorant, can melt, too.
We have sent chocolate successfully during the summer as Tootsie Pops, Chips Ahoy chocolate chip cookies, Chocolate Splash drink mix boxes, and Hershey’s chocolate syrup (in zipper lock plastic bags)