7 Tips for a Seamless Customs Clearance Process

Whenever you trade goods from one country to another, customs clearance is a compulsory part that cannot be avoided. Before your freight can exit the origin country, it needs custom clearance; similarly, before entering the destination country, you will need customs clearance too. Getting customs clearance for importing and exporting goods is one of the most difficult tasks of international freight. Both novice and expert freight movers and international traders have demonstrated that getting customs clearances for imports as well as exports is one of the most difficult tasks.

Businesses have to devote a lot of time to getting customs clearances. Oftentimes, businesses find it difficult to hire a full-time employee who can manage custom-related work as they don’t have this work every day of the month. But at the same time, it is equally important to have a dedicated team working towards this. In such situations, hiring companies that specialize in providing customs clearance services in Dubai proves beneficial. Whether you decide to hire agents or decide to do custom clearance yourself, these seven tips given by Kingdom International Movers will prove beneficial for you.

Hire a Company That Offers Custom Clearance Services

International relocation companies in Dubai, such as Kingdom International Movers, are logistics and freight experts that have dedicated staff and custom agents to facilitate easy custom clearance services. They ensure that your cargo freight meets all required legal requirements, such as laws, standards, and regulations for the import and export of goods.

When you work with reputed freight forwarding companies such as Kingdom International Movers, you will not have to worry about hiring brokers yourself. We have a rich list of licensed and authorized brokers who can do the necessary tasks for all types of customs.

When you decide to work with Kingdom International Movers for your freight, you can still engage your own customs clearance agent. You will need an agent for both the origin country and the destination country. If you hire your agent, we will hand over your documents to your agent at the gate.

Checking Restrictions on Import and Export

Many countries strictly control what can be exported and imported from their borders. As one of the leading logistics companies in Dubai, we suggest that you check beforehand whether your goods are allowed for export and import in the country you wish to deal in. When you check restrictions, know that certain imports and exports are restricted, while some are completely prohibited.

You can only export or import proscribed goods with special permission from government authorities. However, to obtain such permission, you must meet the criteria. However, if you try to import or export prohibited goods, your cargo could get seized and you could also face huge penalties.

Verify Your Compliance with Trade Agreements

All nations have trade agreements with their preferred trade partners. Trade agreements decide custom duties and taxes on imports of products. However, some trade agreements can be extremely beneficial for businesses. Free trade agreements can be very advantageous for international trade. Getting customs clearance in Dubai can be easy as the UAE is one of those nations that offer cordial agreements for trade with most nations. However, you must also note that many nations have anti-dumping duties. These duties are imposed when a certain nation is trying to dump products of a specific category at extremely low prices below fair market prices into other nations. If your goods fall into such a category, then you will have to pay anti-dumping duties.

Verify Trademarks and Copyrights

Whenever you export goods to a foreign country, it’s always a great idea to protect them with copyrights to ensure that your rights aren’t infringed. At the same time, you have to also check whether you are infringing somebody’s rights or not. In many cases, if border customs authorities find out that you are exporting duplicate products and goods, your cargo can be seized, and also heavy fines may be imposed on you.

Prepare the required documents

Documents are the most essential part of a smooth customs clearance. To start your customs processing, your freight forwarding company and the customs agent will need your paperwork. For getting clearances at Dubai ports and customs, you can hire Kingdom International Movers for customs support. We even have our agents worldwide in different nations. So you can get custom clearance from us not only in the UAE but anywhere in the world. The list of required documents for custom processing is as follows:

1. commercial invoice Packing list Certificate of origin. Letters of credit or payment clearance certificates A bill of landing for sea shipping and an airway bill for air shipping

Sometimes more than the above-listed documents are required. Documents such as permits, licenses, and certificates could be required for an easy and smooth customs clearance process. Your customs clearance agent in Dubai can inform you about the required documents beforehand to get customs clearance.

Comply With Packing Requirements

The right type of packaging is extremely important to make sure that goods reach the destination country safely. At the same time, you will have to also watch for guidelines given by customs departments of specific countries. Some nations have strict guidelines on packaging for some types of goods, such as aerosol sprays, medicines, and herbal products. Customs authorities can demand inspection of your cargo and the goods therein. In some cases, a small number of your goods can also be sent to a laboratory for testing.

If your packaging doesn’t meet the standards of the nation, then your cargo load will have to comply with a mandatory quarantine period. Your customs agent and freight forwarding company can help you comply with such guidelines.

perform pre-shipment inspections

Before you finally load your shipment in the cargo performing a final inspection is essential. The final inspection ensures that everything is loaded and packed correctly. It also helps in identifying if something is amiss and needs to be fulfilled. You can verify if your shipment meets health requirements and packaging requirements, by verifying all compliance you can ensure that you will have a smooth customs clearance process.

Concluding Lines

Custom clearances can surely be intimidating and a difficult process but you can make them easy by following the above-mentioned tips and by hiring reputed freight forwarding companies such as Kingdom International Movers.