Customs clearance can be defined as an act of moving goods via customs so they can enter a particular country. Before the international shipment can be delivered to the customers, it should clear all the customs. Every country has imposed particular import duties and tax amounts on goods that cross its borders. This tax helps protect the economy, environment, and the citizenry.
If you wonder what exactly happens at the customs office, we are here to help. But unfortunately, this happens to be an unanswered question and thus becomes a stumbling block when people want to pursue lucrative cross-border shipping.
About 99% of merchants get the customs clear in four simple processes. All you need is some documents, and you’re done. These are the basic four steps:
Step 1- The first step is the customs officer examining your customs paperwork. The produced documents should be completed and precise, particularly the commercial invoice and shipping label. The commercial invoice is essential as it lists the contact information for the shipper, the receiver, airway bill number and export date.
Step 2- In this step, there is an assessment of import taxes and duties with the help of customs paperwork. The import fee varies based on the type of goods, their value, and the import regulations in the receiving country. The assessment of import duties is done on shipments that exceed the de minimus value, which is the minimum taxable threshold for imported goods.
Step 3- applicable, the customs request duties and taxes payment. In case the shipment exceeds the tax threshold, the customs officer will check if the taxes and duty have been paid. Moreover, certain restricted shipments incur fees, irrespective of their value.
Step 4- Your shipment becomes custom cleared once all the duties or taxes are paid. The relevant courier service transports the shipment from customs to the end destination as the customs clearance is done. The shipments rarely get stuck at customs. Sometimes it happens due to faulty paperwork.
These are the steps that are needed for customs clearance.
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