February 06, 2022
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Customs (trade) compliance

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What is customs compliance?

Customs compliance means compliance with legal rules and procedures applicable to goods brought into or taken out of the customs territory. 

Do customs compliance and trade compliance mean the same?

Customs supervise cross-border trade; therefore, the terms ‘customs compliance’ and ‘trade compliance’ are often used interchangeably, meaning compliance with the legal rules and procedures applicable to goods brought into or taken out of the customs territory.

What is governed by the legal rules?

Customs supervises trade contributing to fair and open trade, to the implementation of policies having a bearing on trade, and to overall supply chain security. Taking this into account, customs control:

  • duties and taxes to be paid, and the correct classification of goods, their value and origin;
  • application of product health requirements, veterinary, phytosanitary and quality regulations;
  • compliance with environmental legislation (hazardous chemicals and pesticides, substances that deplete the ozone layer, waste, etc.); 
  • application of product safety requirements and other market regulations (marking, labelling, certificates, etc.);
  • compliance with security and safety regulations (fight against terrorism, trade in dual-use and military goods, sanctions, embargoes, etc.);
  • compliance with intellectual property rights (counterfeited goods), etc.

Where are the legal rules set out?

The legal rules are enshrined in international conventions, bilateral and multilateral trade agreements, customs union legislation, and countries’ national legislation. 

The primary source of the rules of a customs territory is its customs-related legislation. For example, the Union Customs Code in the EU, and the Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Act 2018 in the UK. 

How complex is it to comply with the rules?

The legal rules cover broad regulatory areas and are constantly changing. Therefore, management of customs compliance might become a very complex task for business, depending on the type and number of goods traded, and the target markets.

Comments ()

en
3 real-life cases: To be or not to be in trade and customs compliance?
22-03-2023

Why is there so much talk and writing about trade and customs compliance? Why is so much attention being paid to this issue in legislation and judicial practice? What are the consequences of non-compliance with many laws and trade agreements? Read about 3 real-life cases of failing to comply and their consequences.

Dr. Ilona Mishchenko

compliance and risk management
en
3 real-life cases: To be or not to be in trade and customs compliance?
22-03-2023

Why is there so much talk and writing about trade and customs compliance? Why is so much attention being paid to this issue in legislation and judicial practice? What are the consequences of non-compliance with many laws and trade agreements? Read about 3 real-life cases of failing to comply and their consequences.

Dr. Ilona Mishchenko

compliance and risk management
image en
Risk management - the general process
12-02-2023

Dr. Talke Ovie

compliance and risk management
image en
Risk management - the general process
12-02-2023

Dr. Talke Ovie

compliance and risk management
en
Customs supply chain management in times of uncertainty
11-12-2022

It is clear that global trade has new challenges and John Finley made a good point when he said that [business] maturity is the capacity to endure uncertainty. The future is uncertain, but the key may well be to have a Customs supply chain that consists of a team working together to deliver cost-effective and quality goods as well as a matching service; moreover, in today’s world of global trade there is an urgent need to embrace and use data-driven decisions.

Ronnie Van Rooyen

compliance and risk management
en
Customs supply chain management in times of uncertainty
11-12-2022

It is clear that global trade has new challenges and John Finley made a good point when he said that [business] maturity is the capacity to endure uncertainty. The future is uncertain, but the key may well be to have a Customs supply chain that consists of a team working together to deliver cost-effective and quality goods as well as a matching service; moreover, in today’s world of global trade there is an urgent need to embrace and use data-driven decisions.

Ronnie Van Rooyen

compliance and risk management
en
Customs compliance programmes tomorrow – focus on ‘prepare’, not ‘repair’
04-12-2022

When we come to December and ponder what the new year may bring, it is an ideal opportunity to reflect on the past success and failure of our trade business in order to seek-out how to improve our business performance in the future. Let’s consider compliance reviews that deliver the highest value but require the least effort.

Ronnie Van Rooyen

compliance and risk management
en
Customs compliance programmes tomorrow – focus on ‘prepare’, not ‘repair’
04-12-2022

When we come to December and ponder what the new year may bring, it is an ideal opportunity to reflect on the past success and failure of our trade business in order to seek-out how to improve our business performance in the future. Let’s consider compliance reviews that deliver the highest value but require the least effort.

Ronnie Van Rooyen

compliance and risk management
image en
Customs clearance in the EU: basics for the container shipping and logistics industry
29-11-2022

Customs Knowledge Institute

compliance and risk management
image en
Customs clearance in the EU: basics for the container shipping and logistics industry
29-11-2022

Customs Knowledge Institute

compliance and risk management
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