Service
Paperwork ready before the goods ship, not at the border
We classify the goods, build the file for the regime and the country, file the declaration and answer the inspector — at origin and at destination.
- Clearance
- Export and import
- Working languages
- English · Russian · 中文
01 — The job
What people come to us with
Clear it so the cargo does not sit at the border.
I am not sure about the commodity code: the supplier gives one, the broker names another.
I need to know whether certification applies before I pay for the batch.
The supplier sent the invoice and the packing list — I cannot tell whether they will do.
02 — What is included
What we do
- 01Commodity classificationWe set the code from your documents and photographs of the goods, and spell out the duty rates and restrictions that follow from it.
- 02Document review before shipmentWe read the contract, invoice, packing list and transport documents while the cargo is still with the supplier. At that point a discrepancy is still a correction to a document; at the border it is an explanation to an inspector.
- 03Permits and certificationWe establish whether the goods need a certificate, a declaration of conformity or another permit, then run the application, the paperwork and the samples.
- 04Duty calculated before you payWe work out duty, import VAT and fees against the code and the customs value, so the number is known before money leaves for the supplier.
- 05Declaration and releaseWe prepare and file the declaration, follow it through to release and answer the inspector.
- 06Inspection supportWe arrange attendance at physical inspection and sampling, and submit explanations and evidence as the inspector asks for them.
- 07Both sides of the borderExport clearance at origin and import clearance at destination are run by one team, so the two files agree with each other.
03 — What is not included
What we do not do
At customs the limit of our competence is also the limit of liability. You should know exactly where our part ends and someone else takes over.
- We do not issue certificatesOnly an accredited body can. We prepare the application, run it and fold the result into the file that goes with the declaration.
- We do not promise what customs will decideRelease is decided by the customs authority. We are answerable for the preparation and the reasoning behind it, not for a decision that is not ours to make.
- We do not undervalue cargo or shop for a cheaper codeDouble invoicing, a convenient code that does not match the goods, misdeclaration: we neither propose these nor work alongside them. The price of being found out is set in advance — a fine of between half and twice the unpaid duties and taxes, with the goods themselves liable to confiscation.
- We do not handle restricted goodsWeapons, dual-use items, precursors and sanctioned categories sit outside what we take on.
- We do not litigateA court appeal is run by a lawyer. We supply the facts: documents, technical reasoning and the correspondence on the disputed point.
04 — Process
How the work runs
Each step leaves you holding a document rather than a phone call you have to remember.
- 01Reviewing the goodsWe look at the product, the supplier documents and the delivery terms, then settle the regime and the country of clearance.A note on the code and the regime the consignment will move under
- 02Classification and calculationWe fix the commodity code, calculate duty, import VAT and fees, and check restrictions and non-tariff measures.Duty calculation and the list of restrictions attached to the code
- 03Building the fileDocuments come from both sides: some from the supplier, some from you, some from us. We check that they do not contradict one another.The assembled file plus a list of what is still outstanding
- 04Permits and conformityWhere conformity assessment applies, we run the application with the certification body: documents, samples, testing.Certificate or declaration of conformity, filed with the rest
- 05Filing and releaseWe file the declaration, answer the inspector and attend physical inspection and sampling.A released declaration
- 06Consignment archiveWe hand over the complete file for the shipment. You will need it during an audit and again on the next shipment of the same goods.Document archive for the consignment and notes for the next one
05 — Who is answerable
Where our part ends
Liability for what the declaration says rests with the declarant. That is why the split is agreed before filing, not after the inspector asks a question. The money follows the same line: duty, fees and import VAT are paid to the state by the declarant, while working out the figure in advance is our part.
We take on
- Classification of the goods and the written reasoning behind the code
- Duty, import VAT and fees calculated before you pay the supplier
- Preparing and filing the declaration, and answering the inspector
- Certification and permit applications
- Keeping the export file and the import file consistent
- Attendance at physical inspection and sampling
- Work paid for by you and by no one else: no commission from brokers, warehouses or laboratories
Stays with you
- Accurate information about the goods: composition, purpose, material, technical documentation
- Payment of duties, taxes and fees: that money goes to the state, and we make nothing on it
- Power of attorney and corporate documents so we can act for you
- The call on a disputed code: pay the difference, release against a guarantee, or contest it
06 — Documents
Who prepares what
| Document | Prepared by | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| Sales contract | You and the supplier, reviewed by us | Before payment |
| Commercial invoice | Supplier | Before shipment |
| Packing list | Supplier | Before shipment |
| Transport documents: CMR, bill of lading, rail waybill | Carrier | At shipment |
| Certificate or declaration of conformity | Accredited body, application run by us | Before filing |
| Customs declaration | GM IMPORT | At the border |
07 — Nearby
Related pages
08 — Questions
What people ask before we start
Who is answerable for the commodity code?
The declarant is — whoever the declaration is filed in the name of carries the legal responsibility for what it says. We propose the code from your documents and photographs of the goods, put the reasoning in writing and hand it over before filing. The decision stays with you, but you can see what it rests on.
What if customs disagrees with the classification?
An inspector can issue a classification decision under a different code. From there you have three routes: accept it and pay the difference, release the cargo against a guarantee and keep arguing, or appeal. We build the evidence — technical files, expert findings, letters from the manufacturer. How far to take the dispute is your call, and a court appeal is work for a lawyer.
Does the product need certification?
That depends on the product, not on the route. Some goods need a certificate, some a declaration of conformity, some neither. We check it against the code before shipment: while the goods are still with the supplier you have choices — obtain the document, change the specification, or walk away from the batch. Once the cargo has arrived, you have none. The document itself is issued by an accredited body; we prepare the certification application, the paperwork and the samples.
What happens during a physical inspection?
Customs may verify that the cargo matches the declaration: open the packaging, recount the pieces, take samples. It is not a sign of wrongdoing — consignments are selected by risk profile. We arrange attendance, give explanations on the spot and submit supporting documents. Unloading, weighing and laboratory testing are paid by the cargo owner. If the examination ends with release suspended rather than granted, what happens next is set out in why customs holds a shipment.
Who pays the duties?
The declarant pays duties, taxes and fees from their own account: the obligation sits with them and we do not take it over. Our part is to calculate the customs charges in advance, so they are not a discovery once the cargo arrives. Where we declare in our own name as part of a purchase, the settlement order goes into the contract before shipment.
What does customs need from the contract?
The contract is read by more than you and your supplier: customs and the bank read it too. It has to state unambiguously what is being bought — specific goods, not «equipment per specification» — along with the price and currency, the delivery terms under Incoterms, the order and timing of payment, and the details of both parties. What the contract says must agree with the invoice and the packing list: a mismatch in description, quantity or delivery terms is reason enough for a consignment to be held for checking. We read the contract from that angle before it is signed, because amending it after shipment is too late.
How long does clearance take?
The honest answer: it depends on the goods and the regime. The code, the permits required, how complete the file is and whether the consignment is selected for inspection all move the number. We do not quote a general figure: it tells you nothing about your consignment. Once we have been through your case you will see which of those factors apply to it, along with the document list and the duty calculation.
Unsure about the code and the document file?
Send us the product description, the invoice and the delivery terms. We will come back with the commodity code, the duty calculation and the list of documents to collect before shipment.