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Customs Compliance Review
Customs compliance is essential; Strong & Herd LLP have been helping businesses since 1995 with our customs consultancy services for export, import, export controls (including ITAR and dual-use), preference and applying for AEO Status.
Customs compliance is an essential business activity to ensure you are compliant with export regulations and import procedures and enhance customs planning and customs duty management.
We assist companies in many industry sectors in the areas of customs regulations, export licensing controls, ITAR regulations, excise duty management and other international trade compliance issues.
We tackle customs compliance in a practical way and we don’t put fear and dread into companies or dwell too much on the worst side of non-compliance (eg sending goods illegally to an embargoed country). A lot of non-compliances are ERRORS, MISTAKES often caused by lack of awareness, understanding or by trying to short-cut procedures to save time and/or money. It is the role of the management of a company to ensure that, even if such non-compliances occur, there was adequate training and procedures in place to show that the individual didn’t follow standard procedures. For individuals – find out what certain things mean and know the rules – don’t feel you are pressurised internally or externally to “short-cut” or issue a statement or form because “we’ve always done it that way!”
International Trade Compliance
Customs Compliance: Areas to consider
VAT regulations – obtaining correct evidence of export and the “destination accounting” rule within the EU
The use of International Commercial Terms (Incoterms) – they are for commercial protection and if you don’t understand them properly there could be difficult consequences and additional costs.
Tariff classification – the use and selection of commodity codes both at import and export and on Intrastat declaration
Origin rules – and how the rules of preference origin (related to international trade agreements) differ
Valuation declarations – do we know the rules?
Export controls – both UK and USA (ITAR complaince and EAR): big problems at the moment are companies not understanding the following:
1.
controls when we ship goods specially designed for military purposes – even into another EU country
2.
export licences required for the transfer of not just goods – it also relates to technology transfer (even emails or what is on laptops)
3.
re-export regulations on ITAR and EAR goods/ technology originating in the USA
4.
current embargoed and sanctioned countries
This is only an indication of challenges in this area of customs compliance and international trade compliance.
Find out more about how we can help you face the challenges of international trade, whether you are a well established business or just starting out on your international journey.
Company Audit / Health check
We can help put Corrective Action Plans in place if you have been found wanting in a particular area of international trade compliance. BUT we would prefer to be called in BEFORE you are in trouble.
Export Control Review
We will help you put together a Compliance Action Plan. Starting with Risk Assessment, we will design specific sessions for your team to ensure that they have the knowledge.
