Customs
Importing and exporting your goods usually involves customs matters too. You could arrange this yourself, provided you have the required permits. However, it can be very complicated and require specialist knowledge. If Ritra is performing your transport, we can support you in handling your customs issues.
Customs matters
The right knowledge is important for correct customs processing. What’s more, it requires the right permits and special customs software. We are happy to take care of everything for you. Our in-house customs agents clear your goods, so there is no need for you to outsource this to another party – saving you time and money.
Goods clearance
As soon as you have notified us of your shipment, you can let us know the type of goods you are transporting. To ensure correct customs clearance, it is essential to know the right commodity code for the product. If in doubt, we can take a look and advise you. To do so, we need the following information:
- The supplier’s invoice.
- Extra information, such as a description or photos of the product.
After issuing our advice, we ask for your approval. This is incredibly important, as we are completing the customs declaration in your name. The commodity code is then used to create the customs clearance for declaring the goods.
Advantages of in-house customs agents
Ritra’s fast and high-accuracy customs agents do all clearance internally, allowing for fast and short lines of communication. They will also support you in the event of a potential refund or exemption of import or export duties. In addition, they can help you apply for Binding Tariff Information (BTI).
Our customs agents have all this expertise and more. For instance, they are fully up to speed regarding FLEGT licenses. Importers need these to import timber from Indonesia and other countries. Furthermore, they can take care of intracommunity customs transport on your behalf. This relates to goods being forwarded to a country outside of the EU for which no import duties have been paid yet.
Pre-declaration
Once our customs agents have received all the required information, they can declare the goods even before arrival based on a pre-declaration. This is something only a AEO-certified forwarder is permitted to do. As soon as the goods arrive at the port, the only thing changed in the declaration is adding the correct date. Subsequently, the goods can be released for transport immediately.
The great advantage of a pre-declaration is that you know in advance whether customs wants to carry out extra checks. This could be a physical inspection or a document check, which we will often find out in advance as well. If the goods must be inspected, this can be done either in the warehouse or in the terminal. A pre-declaration also means a possible document check can often be completed sooner, so that goods can still be released quickly.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact us!
