[nickff]

I am not sure what US law on the matter is, but many countries have what are known as "bonded warehouses", which store uncleared goods within the destination country. Are you a customs expert? If so, please comment on whether the US has an equivalent.

[emmelaich]

There's also 'free trade' areas within China that allow transfer without import and export tax and other innovations.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghai_Free-Trade_Zone

[anticensor]

Not a customs expert, but a short research suggests bonded warehouses do indeed exist in the United States: https://openjurist.org/title-19/us-code/section-1311/bonded-...