Gregor Knapp

Origin statements are essential when importing and exporting goods. But when, where, and why should you include them? Senior Consultant of Customs and Trade Rene Rothheudt explains in this article.

To bring tangible benefits to the Ukrainians, the EU has pledged to assist and support them in their democratic reforms. This aid covers customs reform and critical areas like corruption, energy, and trade. To enable this, Ukraine and the European Union signed an Association Agreement in 2014.

The label says Made in China, so determining the origin for customs purposes is easy, right? Wrong! Determining the origin of your goods is much more complicated than you might think. It is also essential, as the origin of your goods can affect the duty amount you have to pay or even whether you are allowed to export or import your goods. 

Entrusting a customs consultant with your supply chain can be daunting. The customs landscape is ever-changing, and you are at risk of audits, delays, and lost business if you do not have your procedures in check. Therefore, regular customs consultancy is key to maintaining your business. However, what do you look for when choosing a company for such an important task?

We live in an exciting and challenging time. The pandemic has changed the world as we know it, and while things are slowly returning to how they were, some changes are here to stay.

Did you know that CMR stands for Convention relative au contrat de transport international de marchandises par route, French for Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road.

Customs Support has the systems and software required for smart declaring processes. When you use smart declaring, you don’t have to send your data to every Customs Authority for every customs document needed to get your goods from your supplier to your end customer.

When goods are bought or sold “Free on Board” (FOB) it means that the seller delivers the goods to a ship at a port previously agreed to by the seller and the buyer. The seller loads the goods onto the ship. The buyer then takes care of the import formalities and transportation to the final destination. Free on Board is one of the oldest Incoterms. It dates back to when goods were carried by sailing ships and it was one of the terms when the Incoterms were first released in 1936. It is also one of the most used commercial terms.

When goods are bought or sold “Delivery Duty Paid” (DDP) it means that the Seller delivers the goods to a place previously agreed to by the seller and the buyer. This can be any location. The agreed place of delivery (e.g. the terminal) needs to be specifically named.