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I'm Simon Roe
and I'm back Rebecca Cluer and we offer customs support for DHL Express customers
so what is the Customs role in international shipping?
the role of Customs is to ensure that our borders are safe through examination of
shipments going to various destinations
and they also collect statistical trade
information so they can monitor what goods are going into and out of the
country,
and the key point of Customs is that they collect tax and duty on shipments.
If you are exporting to the EU
apart from certain exemption territories
the goods can pass through to that country without having to go through
customs clearance
however if your goods are passing through EU borders
and shipping internationally that's where you then need to provide certain
documentation
and ensure that the goods have got the right information provided on the
paperwork.
There are numerous documents you would need to consider and generally this is
country-specific, ensure that you have the correct
shipping paperwork and that you got a really detailed invoice,
when we talk about detail on the invoice we should be looking at the quantity,
the value, a clear description, your commodity code
and also determine whether you've got a license or no license requirement
required for your particular product that you are shipping.
The commodity code, this is a six digit code
that's accepted internationally, the destination that you're shipping to will
also have their own customs tariff
where they'll classify the product down to their own commodity codes.
With licensable products you have to ensure you have the correct
licensing place it's also important to ensure the if your goods are non
licensable
that this is specified on the commercial or pro-forma invoice.
There are common queries that customers
bring up with us, namely the tax and duty that has been applied at destination.
A lot of shippers are not aware that tax duties apply at destination but we've got
a great task tool which helps provide landed cost,
the low value threshold, certain shipments will go through with no tax
and duty being applied to their shipments
but once you go over that threshold, you'll always see a tax and duty invoice
being sent to the customer
unless you're using the DDP service which means that the shipper
receive those destination tax and duty invoices.
Using the DDP service could be an advantage to your business
this will allow you to provide one cost your customer
and for you to take advantage of that particular niche in the market.
From my experiences with talking to our customers they always want us to ensure
that the product
get there as quickly as possible and they always want to remain
compliant with customs both abroad and here in the UK
and that's the key point with regards to the
license requirements that we ask for being declared on the shipping paperwork
and the commodity code and ensuring you've got a clear customs description of your
product
will help with regard because the customs clearance both here and abroad.
Shipping internationally and understanding customs
can be complex but we are here to help, we have our own team of experts that
can offer support and advice with regards to customs
and you can also turn to your local Chamber of Commerce or the UKTI
for support and advice.