Help with the New USPS Customs Form PS Form 2976-A

If you don't want to fill out the US Customs Form because of fear you're being spied on, then don't send anything outside the US. But, this itemization is not to spy on you, it's to protect you and the recipient. Think about it like this...

say you send a box to a friend in Japan and you write the contents of that box as being 1 bracelet, it weighs 1.5 lbs, and is valued at $125.00, 2 CDs, combined weight of 2 lbs, combined value of $30.00, and 3 DVDs, combined weight of 3 lbs, combined value of $60.00. The total value of your package is $215.00. The total weight of your package without packing materials is 6.5 lbs. Right? Now, let's say it leaves the US and somewhere along the lines the box gets torn open and by the time it arrives in Japan there's a white powdery substance in this box.

According to you, there should be nothing in this box representing a white powdery substance, so automatically it is investigated... potentially protecting your friend from deadly disease. Because you didn't write talcum powder or any other type of powder on the Customs Form it is assumed the powder may have been placed in the package while it was damaged, possibly placing the powdery substance in the package is what caused the damage.

So, while I agree that the new Customs Forms are asking for a lot of information, you need to see that information for what it truly is being used for... protecting you. Thanks for playing, but think it through. Don't try passing this off as the government trying to spy on you. Instead, see it for what it really is, the government trying to protect you. ( Delete or Edit for 15 minutes )

We asked our local Post Office what to write in the description fields because we send many more than 5 items in each care package. Filling out the Customs Form online doesn't allow this, but if you fill out the paper version you should be able to do this (check with your Post Office first):
Don't worry about one-letter per block in the item descriptions, use abbreviations as much as possible and place commas between items to fit more than one per line. This way, one Customs Form may be enough per package.

If you run out of room and still have items to list, you will need to include a second Customs Form with the package, so write small.

There doesn't need to be weight or value for each item as long as the weight and value are given for the entire package. The quantity field may also be left empty if the quantity of each item is given in the item description field.

For example, if you had a care package that contained 1 bottle of shampoo, 2 bars of soap, 1 toothbrush, 1 tube of toothpaste, and 3 bags of candy, you could list them all like this: shmpo - 1, soap - 2, tthbrsh - 1, tthpst - 1, candy - 3

Check with your local Post Office if you have additional questions on what to place in this section. ( Delete or Edit for 15 minutes )

I believe you need to complete the paper version of the Customs Form to send from an APO to the US. You can get that from the Post Office at your camp or base. I know it's not much help, but I only sent a package home one time while overseas and the Postal Clerk helped me fill out the Customs Form. ( Delete or Edit for 15 minutes )