Import and Export Customs Declaration? You Must Know These Contents!

In today's globalized world, import and export trade is becoming increasingly frequent. And as an extremely crucial part of it, do you really understand what contents are included in import and export customs declaration? Today, let's explore the affairs of import and export customs declaration in depth together and lift its mysterious veil.

Import and export customs declaration, simply put, is the process in which the consignor and consignee of imported and exported goods, the person in charge of the means of transport entering and leaving the territory, the owner of the articles entering and leaving the territory, or their agents handle the formalities for the entry and exit of goods, articles, or means of transport and related customs affairs with the customs. This is just like that when the goods enter and exit the territory, they need to make detailed reports to the customs, the "gatekeeper". Only after passing the customs review can the goods enter and exit the territory smoothly.

Declaration is one of the core steps of import and export customs declaration. In this process, the declarant needs to truthfully declare various information of the goods to the customs. Specifically, it includes:

• The basic information of the goods, such as the name of the commodity, specification and model, quantity, weight, type of packaging, etc. These information must be accurate, because any mistake may lead to subsequent troubles. For example, Mr. Zhang once had his goods temporarily detained by the customs because the declared weight of the goods did not match the actual weight, which delayed a lot of time and business.
• The value information of the goods, that is, the transaction price of the goods, etc. The customs will determine whether to levy tariffs and how much tariffs to levy based on these information, so accurate declaration of value is very important.
• The origin information of the goods. Goods from different origins may have differences in tariff policies and other aspects, so clarifying the origin helps the customs accurately implement relevant policies.

The customs may inspect the goods after receiving the declaration information. At this time, the declarant needs to cooperate fully. The main content of the inspection is to check whether the declared information matches the actual goods. Customs staff may check whether the appearance, quantity, specification, etc. of the goods are consistent with those declared. If problems are found during the inspection process, for example, Ms. Li once encountered a situation where the declared specification of the goods deviated from the actual goods, then timely explanation and handling are required, otherwise penalties may be faced.

According to the regulations of the customs, for imported and exported goods that need to pay taxes, the declarant should complete the tax payment within the prescribed time. There are many types of taxes, such as tariffs, value-added tax, consumption tax, etc. Only after paying the taxes in full and on time can the goods be cleared and released smoothly. This requires the declarant to accurately understand relevant tax policies and do corresponding budgeting and preparatory work.

After the previous declaration, inspection, tax payment and other processes are all completed smoothly, it comes to the final process of taking delivery of (imported goods) or shipping (exported goods). For imported goods, the consignee can take delivery of the goods at the designated place with the relevant documents such as the bill of lading endorsed by the customs; while for exported goods, the consignor can arrange the shipment of the goods such as loading on the ship or on the plane. Thus, the entire import and export customs declaration process is successfully completed.

Import and export customs declaration involves numerous contents and each link is closely connected. None of the links can be underestimated. Understanding these customs declaration contents is of great significance for both enterprises engaged in import and export trade and relevant practitioners. I hope that everyone can complete the customs declaration work more smoothly in future import and export business. And everyone is also welcomed to discuss the experiences and insights about import and export customs declaration together.