TOPIC: Australian Customs

So my shipment of Sofosbuvir + Ledipasvir from Mesochem has arrived at Australian customs and the Fedex tracking website now shows "Clearance delay - import Goods are subject to regulatory review".

It also has the following messages in big red letters:

1. Reason for delay:
The value of goods for each item on the Commercial Invoice is required for clearance.
Recommended action:
Shipper or Importer must provide a value for each item listed on the Commercial Invoice.


2. Reason for delay:
Itemized breakdown of product composition required.
Recommended action:
Shipper to provide.

3.Reason for delay:
Goods are subject to regulatory review.
Recommended action:
No action required at this time.

4. Reason for delay:
Description provided is insufficient to classify commodity.
Recommended action:
Shipper or Importer must provide a more detailed description of goods.

5. Reason for delay:
Original invoice with company logo and/or original signature is required for clearance.
Recommended action:
Shipper must provide.


Is this normal? or should I start panicking?

Hello PKQ,

Yes, it's normal.

The underlying issue is this. Although the physical shipment probably has all the required documents physically attached that shipment has not been inspected, so these have not been seen.

What has been inspected is an electronic record, and that record does not have all the details.

These details need to be sent to join up.

Please read fixhepc.com/getting-treated/how-to-do-it/import-paperwork.html and follow the instructions. That should fix it.

Hello Dr Freeman,

Thank you for your response, that's reassuring.

I'll wait a few days and see what happens.

Please don't wait a few days or your medications will either be destroyed or returned to sender.

You need to send customs the email and documents listed here: fixhepc.com/getting-treated/how-to-do-it/import-paperwork.html

Customs need the missing documents supplied or they will not clear the shipment.

Hi Dr Freeman

Given that I have directed my package to GP2U, I'm assuming that customs have copies of my paperwork which were supplied by mesochem? Em

Awesome advice from customs is that my APIs have cleared customs and should be arriving today. So these hit Australia in 3 days. Please see notification:

From: Cargo Systems Support <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date: Friday, 11 September 2015
Subject: FW: FedEx Airway Bill 8066 5821 4688 Supporting Documents [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]
To: "This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it." <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>

Hi Dr Freeman,

I can't actually email the documents to customs because I do not have any of the documents they're asking for. Everything like invoice, detailed descriptions, etc that they want, I would expect to be included in the parcel. I've emailed Mesochem asking them to confirm the paperwork was included, or to send me copies of it, but I'm not sure what else I can do.

I see from Emilio's Fedex number above that his order arrived at customs at 8.07 AM Friday and was cleared immediately (at 8.07 AM). My identical order arrived 4 hours later (at 11.43 AM Friday) and they're still holding it. That's the luck of the draw, I guess.

Hey PKQ, it would be best to contact rachel and ask her to forward you copies of these and then forward directly to contact. Also I have the name of a customs officer and his number in Darwin (from my paperwork) you could maybe give him a ring and tell him to open it up and get the paperwork?? As James said previously the paperwork is included inside the box and not so obvious and would need to be opened. Anyway let me know if you want me to PM you that contact information. Given that my package was fowarded directly to GP2U for testing and compounding, Rachel provided copies of these to James and they were fowarded to customs in anticipation of the package arriving. Well I think that's what happend lol. Em

Hi Emilio,

Thanks for your offer, I appreciate it!

I did actually contact Rachel after I posted here, and she said she had already forwarded the paperwork to customs. I have just looked on the Fedex website and Behold! my package was released by customs at 2.39 PM today (Sydney time, I guess). So it looks like I'm back in business, with Fedex showing an estimated delivery tomorrow.

Thanks again for your interest.

Hi PKQ

That's awesome news, I knew it wouldn't be too big of a drama. Em

My shipment has now arrived. It contains 2 packets labelled "Sofosbuvir" and "Ledipasvir". The paperwork included is:

4 copies of a "Certificate for safe transport"
1 copy of a Packing list, in my name.
2 copies of a Commercial Invoice in someone elses name.

I thought it should have included Certificates of Authenticity or somesuch?

As strange as it may seem the physical paperwork attached to the package does not get examined by customs.

The electronic duplicates sent independently are the ones customs actually inspect (unless your package is randomly selected for physical inspection in which case you are going to want them with the package as well).

Hi James
What about the scenario where the package is held up with a notification stating that customs requires additional paperwork? Could the hepper and or GP ring up customs and request that the package be opened to clarify? I guess existing policy and procedure would restrict custom's ability to do this, just as easy to ensure that electronic copies are in clear view. Sorry just thinking aloud and I believe I may have answered my own question here lol. Em

Maybe, but it didn't work when we tried!

That's why we advise people to follow the instructions at fixhepc.com/getting-treated/how-to-do-it/import-paperwork.html.

These instructions were provided by a very helpful man at customs when I asked "How can we make this work smoothly" and he said "Here's what you need to do to make our job easier".

The fundamental issue is that clearances are not by physical packet inspection most of the time, it's electronic record checking. I think the stat is that only a single digit % gets physically inspected, but everything gets electronically inspected.

Each and every shipment is dealt with on an individual basis.

So does this mean I have to specifically ask Mesochem for these documents at the time I place the order, then forward them to customs?

I ask because the only paperwork Mesochem sent me this time was a copy of the Fedex Air Waybill, and I have to go through all this again in a couple of months.