Customs clearance is undoubtedly a very complicated process and takes a lot of time. This can be very intimidating at times with respect to global freight shipping. Small and mid-sized businesses have to pay a lot of attention to making this entire process a successful one. And, the process can get smooth and easier if you plan to hire a customs broker.
However, if you want to do everything on your own, here are some tips to help you work easily.
Do the paperwork carefully
There are a lot of declarations that need to be filed for the country where the cargo will be shipped. If there is any doubt about the process, you can easily double-check it with the shipping companies working with you. Do not waste your time waiting till your shipments are deported to some distant locations due to incorrect filing of documents. At the stage of documentation, you need to provide all sorts of documents, including transport documents, commercial invoices, proforma invoices, customs value declarations, and a lot more.
Pay attention to the item description
The person sitting at the customs office does not have the knowledge about the business sector you are associated with and the terminologies that are used there. So be as detailed as possible.
- Put full details of your cargo.
- Put the commodity codes of the cargo, which will help the officers to easily track the native duties and taxes for you.
- Put the detailed function of the cargo.
- Put the details about how it has been packed.
- Inform about the presence of batteries or other electronic items in the cargo.
Make use of the technology
Most manual processes these days have been replaced with online processes. Hence, it is imperative for you to adopt digital means as soon as possible. There are multiple online tools today that can help ease out the filing process for you like paperwork management, document submission, or tracking the cargo.
Think of ways to lower the import costs
You need to find ways to lower the import costs. There are many items that are eligible for preferential access under the PTA, and hence the import tariffs will be reduced.
There is a lot involved in the import clearance. So, to make things easier, hire and work with Clearit.ca and stay assured about the customs clearance.