New Rule For Balikbayan Boxes?

[JJReyes]

I went to the LBC office this morning to purchase four balikbayan boxes. The good news is shipping rates from Honolulu remain the same at $55 for Luzon, $65 for Visayas and $65 for Mindanao. The bad news is the price for boxes have gone up from $5 to $6 each.

 

The clerk gave me a Shipper's Export Declaration in quadruplicate for each box. Does anyone know if this is a new rule by the US government? In the past, I just wrote in bold letters, "Household Goods" on the Philippine Customs form. There was an earlier incident of someone attempting to smuggle firearms from the United States and they were caught. My assumption is signing this new form makes the shipper responsible for the box's contents.

 

I decided to ship early. There is this funny feeling in my stomach that shipping rates will soon go up. 

Edited August 16, 2013 by JJReyes

[Bruce]

I went to the LBC office this morning to purchase four balikbayan boxes. The good news is shipping rates from Honolulu remain the same at $55 for Luzon, $65 for Visayas and $65 for Mindanao. The bad news is the price for boxes have gone up from $5 to $6 each.

 

The clerk gave me a Shipper's Export Declaration in quadruplicate for each box. Does anyone know if this is a new rule by the US government? In the past, I just wrote in bold letters, "Household Goods" on the Philippine Customs form. There was an earlier incident of someone attempting to smuggle firearms from the United States and they were caught. My assumption is signing this new form makes the shipper responsible for the box's contents.

 

I decided to ship early. There is this funny feeling in my stomach that shipping rates will soon go up. 

 

I just shipped 3 today by LBC from Florida. $89 each. I have no idea about the forms as I simply made a scribble on the form. The pick up guy filled them out.

[OnMyWay]

I went to the LBC office this morning to purchase four balikbayan boxes. The good news is shipping rates from Honolulu remain the same at $55 for Luzon, $65 for Visayas and $65 for Mindanao. The bad news is the price for boxes have gone up from $5 to $6 each.

 

The clerk gave me a Shipper's Export Declaration in quadruplicate for each box. Does anyone know if this is a new rule by the US government? In the past, I just wrote in bold letters, "Household Goods" on the Philippine Customs form. There was an earlier incident of someone attempting to smuggle firearms from the United States and they were caught. My assumption is signing this new form makes the shipper responsible for the box's contents.

 

I decided to ship early. There is this funny feeling in my stomach that shipping rates will soon go up. 

 

An SED is only required if one (or more) single commodity within the shipment has a value of over USD 2500.

[JJReyes]

An SED is only required if one (or more) single commodity within the shipment has a value of over USD 2500.

 

I will write, "Household Goods. No Commercial Value." on the export form. If the pick-up guy accepts it, I guess it's okay.  

[MikeB]

Quite a few posts on fuel prices so I split them into their own topic here - http://www.philippines-expats.com/topic/16896-worldwide-fuel-prices/#entry103526

[johnb]

The last balikbayan boxes I sent to Cebu was with LBC there was no charge for there boxes [ just the stated price UK to Visayas] but there were forms to be filled in triplicate, I just wrote used household items and some small value as £20 per box, they all arrived OK.

 

Normally I send my boxes from the greater London area, and have no problem finding a balikbayan company, however I'm now on the south coast near Brighton and cant find anyone on google that covers this area, i may have to drive into croydon to collect a box and then return it myself when packed before returning to Cebu on this occasion.

 

John

[sjp52]

I ship all my boxes through a Filipina friend who lives just down the street from me. I pay $10 per box and she said that she gets that money for payment for doing it ( collecting the boxes ). I have to pay $125 per box but if I ship 2 boxes the 3rd one is free. These boxes are insured for up to $350 which is not that much. I can use my own boxes if I want but then she does not get paid for collecting my boxes, So I buy hers. I have never filled out any sheets for content and all my boxes have arrived and in good condition. I have shipped around 30 boxes in the last 4 years including a 50" and 32" lcd tv and many computers.

[i am bob]

I ship all my boxes through a Filipina friend who lives just down the street from me. I pay $10 per box and she said that she gets that money for payment for doing it ( collecting the boxes ). I have to pay $125 per box but if I ship 2 boxes the 3rd one is free. These boxes are insured for up to $350 which is not that much. I can use my own boxes if I want but then she does not get paid for collecting my boxes, So I buy hers. I have never filled out any sheets for content and all my boxes have arrived and in good condition. I have shipped around 30 boxes in the last 4 years including a 50" and 32" lcd tv and many computers.

I just found a place in Niagara Falls that has the boxes at $10 ea and shipping at $110 a box. I don't know if they have any deals or not yet.

[sjp52]

 

I ship all my boxes through a Filipina friend who lives just down the street from me. I pay $10 per box and she said that she gets that money for payment for doing it ( collecting the boxes ). I have to pay $125 per box but if I ship 2 boxes the 3rd one is free. These boxes are insured for up to $350 which is not that much. I can use my own boxes if I want but then she does not get paid for collecting my boxes, So I buy hers. I have never filled out any sheets for content and all my boxes have arrived and in good condition. I have shipped around 30 boxes in the last 4 years including a 50" and 32" lcd tv and many computers.

I just found a place in Niagara Falls that has the boxes at $10 ea and shipping at $110 a box. I don't know if they have any deals or not yet.

 

I,m from Sarnia, So a van comes from Toronto and picks up the boxes and takes them to the port in Toronto I think. That is why I pay more I guess.

[Bruce]

I just found a place in Niagara Falls that has the boxes at $10 ea and shipping at $110 a box. I don't know if they have any deals or not yet.

 

OK, you and SJP52 both pay $10 for a box. Is this a shipper charge or a convenience charge from a 3rd party? I pay nothing for my boxes from either FOREX or LBC. The local guy drops off the boxes and then picked them up when called to come back the 1st time. Ever since then when he picks up my full boxes, he leaves empty boxes for me.

 

Also I used to use FOREX, but they seem to have delivery issues out on Samar / Leyte as they pay very little the local companies want more pay to deliver the boxes. LBC already has branch offices, so this eliminated that issue of a 3rd party making the final deliver to the door.