Behind the scenes with Customs Manager Randy de Jong

29 January 2025

Every day, our in-house customs declarants handle all of your declarations. On the customs team, having in-depth knowledge, working accurately, and being skilled at mediation are essential parts of the job. But what exactly does the customs department do? And what does an average day look like for a customs declarant? Customs Manager Randy de Jong is happy to give us an insight into his world.

Introducing Randy

Randy de Jong was born in Delft and raised in Pijnacker-Nootdorp. After living for many years in the heart of The Hague, he now lives with his wife Eileen and their two teenage daughters in the area where he grew up. However, the lively energy of the city still calls to him, so he often returns to his beloved The Hague.

On Sundays, you’ll find him on the football fields with his mates in and around the city. But his true passion is making music. Together with three friends, he founded the label Rakkatack. After weekly sessions developing new material in his home studio (late-night sessions are common!), they release their latest tracks with their signature raw techno sound on Spotify every Tuesday evening. On weekends, they often add some live performances into the mix.

Randy: ‘There’s nothing better than sharing your own music with people. Whether it’s 100 or 2,000.’

Randy’s career so far

After completing his studies at the Graphic Lyceum, Randy began his career at a family-owned printing company specialising in pre-press and other printing services. Through connections, he then ended up in his twenties at the international fruit and vegetable company The Greenery in (then still) Bleiswijk, as someone ‘who was good with computers’. He was involved in exporting various types of fruits and vegetables to Russia – highly sensitive products for an even more volatile market. It was an eye-opening experience but certainly not an easy one.

This was the start of his career as a customs declarant. The profession and all the surrounding regulations fascinated him so much that, in the evenings, he pursued further studies, completing both the Assistant Declarant and Declarant qualifications. More than 12.5 years ago, a customs declarant vacancy at Ritra Cargo came up. Having spent years working in the fruit and vegetable industry, Randy seized the opportunity to broaden his career in his field. Fun fact: Both Ilona and Gijs, his immediate colleagues in the declarations department, had previously worked at Ritra Cargo; on Export and CSD. Richard recently joined the Customs department in the afternoons.

When his predecessor, Fred Kortman, retired, Randy stepped into the role of Customs Manager. Alongside his day-to-day duties, he’s also a key point of contact for colleagues and clients.

Randy: ‘In my job, it’s important to make connections. A client often thinks in terms of quick solutions and short-term goals, whereas Customs – with me as the intermediary – focuses on the potential long-term consequences of a rushed decision. And don’t forget, Customs has the right to revisit declarations up to seven years later. I see it as my responsibility to protect our clients from that.’

A day in the customs department

So, what does a typical day in the customs department look like? There are certain tasks that remain consistent. Our declarants begin their day by checking emails to see which shipments have departed or arrived. The declarations for these shipments need to be processed first to avoid delays in handling and transport.

Randy: ‘Of course, we’re still a commercial company. It’s up to us in the declaration department to stay adaptable, without losing sight of Customs regulations. It’s my responsibility, along with my colleagues, to assess the risks properly.’

Throughout the day, there are various calls with Customs about unusual declarations, physical inspections, or amendments. There are also frequent briefings with colleagues from Customer Service and Ritra Schiphol.

Randy: ‘I’m the first to admit when I make a mistake. It’s precisely the discussion that follows that’s important, because it allows us to learn from it together and find a solution.’

Randy has noticed that over the years, the job has become more challenging – not just for declarants, but for clients as well. He points to the example of the REX declaration. If this is submitted incorrectly, even a small spelling or typographical error can result in Customs not granting or withdrawing tariff preferences. At the same time, Randy sees this as an opportunity to see if there’s a simpler way of handling it. With the latest developments in AI, he’s determined to make life easier for both customers and customs declarants in the future.

We can certainly say that this active, results-driven person has truly found his place here. Randy: ‘I’m happy with how things are going and the way I do it. Compared to a few years ago, I’m now able to assess situations better, which helps me manage the workload. The balance between work and personal life is just right. I literally close the door at 5:30 PM, and I can leave work behind with peace of mind.’

Would you like to find out more about Team Ritra?

A big thank you to Randy for his openness! If you’re curious about other personal stories from Team Ritra, check out our News page, ‘Who are we?’ or our Team page!