What to consider for worldwide customs clearance

When it comes to universal customs clearance, there are certain things you need to consider when looking to distribute goods from the UK to countries outside the EU. This blog article aims to inform you as to what you need for universal customs clearance, what documentation will be required, and how GFS can help.

Distributing Goods outside of the UK

When distributing any goods outside the UK, you need to follow these procedures:

• Check the duties and customs procedures that apply to the type of goods you are sending. You will need to know all the ingredients that your goods contain before sending them: for example, if you are sending cereal products, you will need to make out a full list of exactly what they contain, for instance, nuts and fruits. Check the rules, restrictions and tax and duty rates for all items and complete any related documentation.
• Check to see if you need a licence to export the type of goods you wish to distribute. Various animal and plant products, medicines, firearms, and chemicals all have special rules regarding their distribution and will require specific licences to export.
• Apply for an Economic Operators Registration and Identification (EORI) number to begin exporting items outside the UK. Check to see if you also need to register for VAT, or if you can use simplified declaration processes such as Common Transit and Authorised Economic Operator status.
• Ensure that the entity you plan to import your goods to is able to receive them. They may need to complete an import declaration plus a licence to receive specific goods before you can begin exporting to them.
• Choose an entity to make export declarations and arrange transportation of goods. While you can do this yourself, it is better to rely on the logistics and expertise of a company like GFS to handle any freight forwarding and customs operations. It is always better to get it right the first time to prevent delay and additional costs to your shipping.
• Find the right commodity code to classify your goods and complete any documentation such as invoices and licences/certificates to be sent with the goods. Make sure to list the selling price for all goods in the invoice rather than the market price.
• Declare the goods at customs and send them for export. Make sure to keep invoices and other paperwork for your records and taxation purposes.

GFS Customs Clearance

To ensure universal customs clearance without incident, you should use certified customs declaration agents. We specialise in the preparation of import and export documentation. A few services are available through us, including inventory linkage, supplemental declarations, duty relief applications, and others. We also handle customs and excised bonded warehouse services for any imported goods. To ensure smooth processing and clearance of your items, our experts will make sure all faults and fines are avoided. In addition, we can handle any additional paperwork required for approval. Get in touch with us today to learn how we can simplify and take the hassle out of your next shipping process.