Do I need an export license to ship furniture overseas?

Almost never. Standard furniture is EAR99 and needs no license for ordinary commercial destinations. You still must avoid embargoed countries and restricted parties, and you must screen everyone in the transaction before you ship.

What is ISPM 15 and does my shipment need it?

ISPM 15 is the international standard for solid-wood packaging — pallets, crates, and dunnage. If your furniture ships on or in untreated solid wood, that packaging must be heat-treated or fumigated and stamped with the IPPC mark, or the destination may refuse, treat, or return it.

Do I have to file EEI for a furniture export?

Usually yes. EEI is required when the value under one Schedule B number exceeds $2,500, which most furniture orders do. Shipments to Canada are generally exempt unless an export license is required.

Who handles import duties in the destination country?

That depends on your Incoterms rule. Under terms like DDP you deliver duty-paid and absorb the destination duties and clearance; under terms like FOB or CIF the buyer handles import clearance and duties. Make the allocation explicit in the contract. Exporting furniture is mostly about precise classification, party screening, and packaging that clears foreign customs — small details with large consequences. Reidel Law Firm prepares flat-fee Import/Export Compliance Memos tailored to your products and destination markets, with direct attorney access — get a flat-fee import/export compliance memo before your next container ships.

How to Export Furniture: U.S. Compliance Guide

To export furniture from the United States, classify it under HTS/Schedule B Chapter 94, screen every party to the sale, file Electronic Export Information (EEI) when required, and make sure your wood packaging meets the international ISPM 15 standard. Furniture is rarely a controlled commodity, so the legal work is less about export licenses and more about correct classification, party screening, packaging compliance, and satisfying the destination country’s import rules.