Identify and explain the causes of customs delays and how these delays can be avoided. [12 marks
Causes of customs delays
There are many reasons why your shipment may be delayed. Usually, this is caused by one important detail or declaration that’s been missed. However, delays can also be due to other circumstances, such as weather and issues at the port. We have highlighted seven key reasons for you to consider, so you can try to avoid shipment delays – see below:
1. Incorrect Customs Declarations
Examples of incorrect Customs Declarations include a missing value
(see below) or an incorrect description of goods, which could
result in an incorrect classification, leading to an incorrect
licence (or the absence of a licence). Goods will be automatically
selected due to the classification number used, resulting in the
shipment being held and placed under query by HMRC. Another example
of an incorrect Customs Declaration is the lack of an EORI number
provided, which is required for both import and export – if this is
missing, the full Customs entry cannot be completed. Generally,
incorrect Customs Declarations are due to a lack of knowledge when
completing commercial documentation for shipments, i.e. from a
third country to the UK or vice versa. Always make sure you have
all the information required for a Customs Declaration.
2. Incorrect Paperwork & Documents
Incorrect paperwork, even a seemingly minor detail, can cause
severe delays to your shipment. Worse still, this could lead to you
losing a customer who may not be prepared to wait until you resolve
the issue. One common error is where people have missed off the
value of the shipment.
Say you have an important customer flying into London to see a prototype – for this example, we will use a ‘high tech machine’. Your client wants to see how the machine works and is only on a 24-hour stopover. Your US office ships a prototype to you in the UK. However, the machine has been shipped with a proforma invoice stating, “prototype no value for Customs”. This means that the clearing agent won’t be able to start the clearance process because they do not have a value for the Customs Declaration. Therefore, the shipment is delayed as the machine remains in a Heathrow transit shed, awaiting the confirmation of its value from your US office.
Not only will this now incur extra costs in terms of storage fees, but the delay in clearance may lead to a special vehicle having to be arranged to transport the machine to your venue. Meanwhile, your customer decides they cannot wait in the UK any longer and leaves. This ‘minor’ detail has resulted in a missed sales opportunity, extra transport costs, wasted time and effort for both parties – all because of incorrect documentation.
3. Incorrect Licence and Certificates
This often happens in export, where goods are manufactured for a
new client in a new territory that you are not familiar with.
Missing or incorrect Import/Export licences and the Certificate of
Origin will cause shipment delays. The goods might be collected by
the freight forwarder, but they cannot move forward if no-one has
checked whether an Export Licence is needed (or has the expertise
to check this). Therefore, the goods could sit at the freight
forwarder’s warehouse in the UK for a few weeks while this is
checked. As a result, you cannot invoice the client – you will have
to explain the delay, which could expose your incompetence. Without
the correct Export Licence, neither the freight forwarder or the
Customs clearing agent can prepare or submit your export
declaration.
4. Customs Timescales
It is a common misnomer that HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) cause
delays. Nowadays, Customs clearance is dealt with electronically
and usually within minutes for 99% of Customs entries. It is not
HMRC timings that cause the problems – issues arise when there is
missing or incomplete documents, resulting in a shipment not being
ready to be submitted for clearance because the Customs clearance
agent cannot submit the Customs entry. It is worth understanding
the limits on how long goods arriving or leaving the UK can be
held, how long goods can be presented at the export port (for
exportation), as well as the time is takes for clearance to be
achieved. If you have any concerns, please get in touch to speak to
one of our consultants.
5. Seasonality
Seasonal events and holidays are an obvious cause of shipment
delays that every business should already take into consideration.
However, it is worth reminding your customers and suppliers of
global holidays and events that may impact airlines and shipping
schedules, e.g. hold cargo at peak travel times may result in
freight being “bumped” to accommodate passengers. You may have
taken the Christmas period into account, but are you aware of
possible issues arising due to the Chinese New Year? This period
dramatically impacts shipping schedules during January and
February. Plus, Black Friday in November places immense stress on
couriers and delivery companies. Overall, seasonal delays will tend
to affect infrastructure, logistics capacity and networks, rather
than being a Customs issue.
6. Volatility, i.e. strikes, weather
If you are shipping across the high seas, weather will be a strong
factor for possible delays. With major ports in the far east such
as Shanghai, these locations may be prone to typhoons. Despite its
robust build, it could be too dangerous for a cargo ship to set
sail. Plan your shipments in view of seasonal weather patterns.
Plus, keep an eye on political murmurings in case they escalate
into volatile situations, causing strikes, or in worst cases, port
closures.
7. Fines or Impounded Stock
The very last thing you want is for your shipment to be impounded
or to receive a fine.
If you are importing, be aware of “civil penalties” from HMRC,
which can vary in size depending on the offence and your business
compliance record. If you are exporting, Export Licence evasion can
result in imprisonment. If you have made a serious import or export
mistake, criminal investigations can arise. Unfortunately,
ignorance is no line of defense, so always ask an expert for advice
if you are unsure. Penalties can be reduced if reasonable care was
taken, or where you have found an error and given a “voluntary
disclosure” to HMRC.
Conclusion
When you are wading through the difficult area of shipping and
Customs, a thorough understanding of international import and
export requirements is essential. Research your ports so you are
well aware of possible problems in advance – this may even
determine whether you take on a contract or customer. There are tax
and duty incentives available, but you will need to understand the
complex area of Customs to benefit from these. Always talk to an
expert if you are unsure.
Ultimately, a sound knowledge of your entire supply chain will help you secure your shipments, as well as spotting potential pitfalls and risks to your business. Effective performance management of each carrier and every part of the supply chain will ensure you can successfully fulfill your customer’s needs.
Following measures be taken to avoid the custom delays:
We will take a look at the documentation that needs to be filled in correctly from start to finish, so you can say goodbye to your shipment stuck in customs for good!
AN IMPORT LICENSE
Ensure that you have applied for an import license. You will not be able to ship your goods without this license. It specifies your permission to bring a certain amount of goods into a specific country and is only valid for a certain period of time. A top tip would be to create a file to keep all your import and shipping documents in one place. This may seem obvious, but with the mountain of paperwork that begins to pile up, it becomes easy to lose a document, which could result in a costly and time-consuming delay that could have been avoided with just a little bit of organization on your part.
AN IMPORT DECLARATION
This document is to merely state your intention as an importer to bring valid goods into a specific country. You need this document to verify you, as an importer, and to verify your goods in your destination country.
WORK WITH A KNOWN SHIPPER
One way to reassure customs officials is to encourage your manufacturer to participate in the Transportation Security Administration’s Known Shipper program, says Torcomian. The vendor verifies its identity to TSA, making the company a known quantity when customs officials review its shipments.
This step can be taken further with vendor participation in the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism. In this more stringent program, manufacturers comply with stiff regulations and submit to U.S. Customs monitoring to ensure their shipments are secure.
YOUR INVOICE NEEDS TO BE ALL INCLUSIVE
Your invoice needs to match your actual shipment. While this may seem like an obvious thing, it is often overlooked and can cause havoc during your customs clearance.
An all inclusive invoice can look something like this:
CLASSIFICATION OF GOODS
When classifying your goods for import, you need to be as in depth and detailed as possible with regards to each item that you are shipping. This classification of your goods will create a smoother process for the customs official, which will in turn ensure a faster turn around time for your shipment.
DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY
In many countries importers are in need of preparing a declaration of conformity;
“declaration of conformity is an official document confirming that the product was manufactured (as well as developed) in full compliance with all applicable requirements in place and technical rules that are described in certain Technical Regulations of Customs Union.” As an importer you will need to be aware of the specific regulations that your product needs to comply with in order to know which certification you need.
POA - NOT A PLAN OF ACTION, A POWER OF ATTORNEY
A POA is essential for filling out shippers exportation documents. This exportation document cannot be completed without a valid POA. Without it, your shipment will not be released, costing you time and money.
If any of these documents are not in order,you incur costs that begin adding up on a daily basis. Your shipment will be warehoused, where you will be billed for every day your shipment is there. It will be time consuming. Much of the paperwork mentioned above takes time to complete, but now you will be waiting on paperwork while raking up warehouse fees. This is not an ideal situation but can be avoided with thorough, well-kept, organized paperwork and a dash of patience to go along with it.
DO USE A CUSTOMS AGENCY
If you think that managing large orders on your own is something that you are willing to put all of your efforts and time into, then, by all means, go ahead. But my advice would be to use a customs agency.
A customs agency has the expertise and knowledge to ensure that all the right paper work, permits, licensing and classifications are in order, so as to relieve yourself of those dreaded moments of hearing that your shipment is stuck in customs due to incorrect paperwork.
They are also familiar with regulations and compliance standards that need to be met, that are also specific to your desired location and specific to your product.
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