Customs is a discipline in its own right, and the importer carries it.

The commodity code

Every product has a code, and the code decides the duty rate and whether any particular control applies. Getting it wrong is not merely expensive. It is a declaration error, and it stays on the record.

Origin

Origin is where the goods were made, not where they were shipped from. It decides whether a preferential rate applies, and it has to be supported rather than assumed.

Valuation and declaration

The value you declare is not simply the invoice price. It is defined, and it includes things buyers routinely leave out. The declaration itself has to be accurate, and the importer signs it.

The documents

At minimum a commercial invoice, a packing list and the transport document, plus any certificate that the product or the market requires. What is missing usually only becomes apparent when the goods are held.

Duty and tax at import

Duty and import tax fall due when the goods arrive. They are part of your landed cost, and a quotation that omits them is not a cost – it is a surprise.

Who the importer is

The importer of record is the person legally responsible for the declaration and for the goods. If that is you, the liability is yours. It is worth deciding deliberately rather than by default.

How we help

We work through the classification, the origin, the documents and the landed cost before the order is placed, so that the cost you agreed is the cost you pay, and the goods clear when they arrive.