Customs clearance involves the overall process of preparing and submitting the documents needed to initiate the transportation of the shipments. This process facilitates the import and export of goods in and out of the country and other allied functions. These also involve the representation of clients during the customs examination processes, assessment of the entire process, and the payments of the duties. And at the end, the process ends with co-taking the cargo delivery from the customs departments and the necessary documentation.
There is a mandatory requirement of complete customs clearance while importing or exporting goods through international ocean freight shipments. This is a customs formality required to be produced to facilitate the entry or exit of certain significant goods in certain specific countries. And, this process needs to be conducted in the presence of authorized customs brokers only. You need to provide some specific information for customs clearance:
- Tax-related information of the importer and the exporter
- The origin and destination details of the import or export
- The name and country and the means of the transport
- The details of the packages like the number, gross and net weight of it, volume and the description of the goods getting transported
- The details of the taxes for imports to be payable
- Details about any specific goods which require added inspection while being transported
Who is responsible for the clearance?
The party responsible for carrying out the customs clearance is the customs agency within the international transport chain. This agent will represent the side of the importer or the exporter and deal directly with the customs authority. They will be entirely responsible for communicating the information between the parties or notifying their clients about any critical information. They will also look after paying the taxes on behalf of their parties.
What are the necessary documents required?
- Commercial invoices- This will serve as the trading certificate between the parties. The details required here are the fiscal data of both the parties involved, the cargo description, the Incoterm and the cargo value on the commercial invoice.
- Packing list- This is usually issued by the seller. The details of the merchandise must be present here.
- Bill of lading- The transport company issues this in general. The certificate of goods loaded will be provided here.
If you want any clearance assistance, Clearit.ca is here to help you with all your questions and queries.
