A Simple Guide to Customs Clearance
In the last few years, customs clearance has been a top priority or concern for businesses that are both importing goods into the UK, and exporting products out to the EU. One of the biggest misconceptions surrounding customs clearance is that it is a complicated procedure; at PTI Express, we’re here to clear up that misconception and make customs clearance easier to understand.
What is customs clearance?
In simple terms, customs clearance is the process of declaring goods as they move through a border. Whether the goods are being imported or exported, HMRC will need to gather data on the country’s imports and exports to ensure that any goods are being shipped with the correct licenses and certifications, as well as handling any taxes that may be due.
How long does UK customs clearance take?
A customs declaration process in the UK typically takes place within a few minutes at its quickest, but at worst it can take a few days for the declaration to be cleared – this is common in cases where further documentation is needed from the seller.
What supporting documentation is required?
In the constantly changing world of customs clearance, we often find that the documentation for every product can be different. However, as a standard rule, the following items of documentation are required for any customs clearance procedure:
- Shipping documentation (bill of landing document)
- Commercial Invoice
- Packing list
What happens if the documentation provided is incorrect?
Providing the incorrect documentation during the customs clearance process can hugely inconvenience both the supplier and end customer. Goods will be held at the customs hub until the correct documentation has been provided, which will cause a delay to delivery times, as well as risking extra costs and fines.
What value should I declare to customs?
When dealing with UK Customs, the border value of the goods being processed needs to be declared. This includes the cost of the goods themselves, cost of freight, and insurance costs at the time of crossing the border. The specific type of INCOTERM used will often dictate whether a value for VAT adjustment will need to be declared to customs.
Northern Ireland customs clearance
Given that Northern Ireland remains a part of the EU Customs Union, the process of exporting goods from the UK into Northern Ireland is slightly different. There are two types of declarations that must be filled out when sending goods to Northern Ireland:
- ENS Safety and Security Declaration
- Supplementary Declaration
How does the PTI Customs Clearance work?
For the most part, goods should continue to be presented to PTI Express as they normally would, however, when utilising our customs clearance services, the customs information for the goods will need to be presented to us before the goods arrive to our warehouse.
At this point, a member of the PTI team will submit the customs data provided to both UK and IE Customs, as well as producing the relevant documentation for the driver. Providing that there are no issues, the goods will be loaded into a groupage trailer for the desired location. After leaving our warehouse, the trailer will pass through a Customs Export Border at the port, and then board the ferry.
Upon arrival, a member of Import Customs will carry out a final check on the goods to ensure that they are cleared to enter the country, and once this has been cleared, the goods will arrive at the warehouse for unloading, and later, delivery.
At PTI Express we have a dedicated in-house customs clearance team who are able to provide a full customs clearance service on your goods. From making customs declarations on your behalf, to assisting you in making sure all of the required information has been provided in the correct formats for customs, we strive to make the customs process hassle free. Contact us today by calling 01788 542500 or emailing sales@ptiexpress.com.
