Steps to Ensure a Smooth Process
Custom clearance can be a scary thing for many importers. It’s not always easy to know what is required, and it’s even more difficult to navigate the process of getting everything right the first time. But don’t worry! With these 11 tips, you’ll be able to successfully get customs clearance brisbane without any hiccups.
The first thing that you should do is familiarize yourself with the documents that are required, and be able to provide them on short notice if needed. Here’s a list of some important items:
– Commercial Invoice (CI) – this document must include all product information such as item name, quantity, unit price etc.
– Packing List/Air Waybill (AWB)/Ocean Bill of Lading (OBL) – these documents are used for customs purposes only but not related to shipping or delivery at destination. Usually carriers will ask importers to fill out one of these forms when they receive cargo into their facilities before it hits the trucking company hands. Its purpose is simply identify what type of commodity it is, where did it come from, where is it going to etc.
– Packing list – usually there are two packing lists involved in importing process: one for the shipment being sent out which goes with the bill of lading and accompanies goods during transit; second one is used at destination. It’s basically a copy of commercial invoice that was attached to original cargo while traveling through customs territory or on board an aircraft/vessel destined to importer’s country.
– Certificate of origin (COO) – some countries require certificates of origin when products come from certain regions such as Taiwan, Japan or China so be sure you know if your product qualifies before shipping out anything.
– Commercial Invoice photo page(s) – this document contains photos taken in the warehouse when products were packed and boxed for shipping. It’s used to identify what product looks like and in case there is a problem with it, carriers will be able to see exactly where damage occurred.
– Warehouse Entry – this document provides information on all items that are being imported or exported from warehouses such as: which line item number relates to which order; whether goods left at customs (outbound) or went through customs (inbound); quantity of each commodity etc.