Customs Services

Customs Clearance

Customs clearance can be time consuming and stressful, which is why we’ve made it our mission to make sure that it all happens as efficiently and accurately as possible. Our customs clearance service is fully managed, which means that export documentation and regulations can be taken care of. Our experts have specialist knowledge in compliance in import and export regulations, so you know you’re in good hands.

Customs Classification of Goods

To classify products, customs relies on a standardised system of names and numbers to define goods by what they are made of and what they are used for. Import and export clearance use this system to determine the appropriate duty or tax rates, as well as the required documents.

Required Paperwork

The paperwork and documents that you provide are used at customs clearance points throughout your shipment’s journey. To avoid delays and/or fines, it is therefore incredibly important that the documents and the information you provide is accurate.

A commercial invoice must accompany international shipments, and other additional documents may be required too, depending on the goods and the destination, such as a Certificate of Origin, ATR or EUR1. You may also require a licence, if you are shipping restricted goods as covered by import or export regulations.

Duties and Taxes

When you import goods into a country, you are required to pay customs duty, or import duty. This is based upon the classification of the goods, and is usually worked out as a percentage of their value.

When goods are sold, you have to pay sales tax. The amount differs from country to country, and is charged on all sales transactions as a percentage of the value of the goods. These duties and taxes have to be paid before customs will release the goods for delivery.

Trust WLS with your Customs Clearance

At WLS, we’re committed to making sure that we achieve customs-led safety and security standards under various secure supply chain programmes from around the world. We hold the following certifications:
Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) — EU, Switzerland, Norway & Taiwan
Customs, Trade Partnership against Terrorism (C-TPAT) — USA
Partners in Protection (PiP) — Canada
Secure Trade Partnership Plus (StP+) — Singapore

Let Us Make Customs a Breeze

Customs export procedure can be difficult, so make sure that you take a look at our online glossary to look up specific terminology or get in contact for more information.