Customs formalities

Transport outside the European Union goes beyond trucks and trailers. To ensure that everything runs smoothly, you must comply with all possible customs formalities for the country your goods are going from and to. To be compliant, you need total confidence in your chosen partner. By utilising our in-house Customs team, we can ensure a trouble free transit for your consignment.

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Customs formalities are unavoidable since the UK left the EU when transporting goods cross border. As soon as we knew that the UK was definitely leaving the EU, we did not give up and look for other markets, instead we invested heavily in making sure we had the infrastructure in place to continue supporting our customers and immediately set up our own Customs department. In the early stages of this major change, whilst many operators suspended their services, we were one of a small number of operators who, with the thanks to our Customs team, were able to continue with normal services, something we remain very proud of to this day.

At the beginning of 2021, 4 people were active in this department, however it soon became apparent that more employees were needed to continue to guarantee the best service to our customers. Today, 8 employees work in our Customs department. They guarantee a smooth flow of goods and trucks every day and are on hand to answer any questions or concerns you may have.

International transport of goods requires various formalities for Customs. Each country has different rules and you must comply with those laws to drive across the border without any problems. Our dedicated Customs team have the specialist knowledge to handle any documentation requirements for shipments travelling on our own services, or even if you have shipments going to other countries such as Brazil or China.

• Export documents (EX-A and EU-A): These are Customs documents for the export of goods outside the EU. Which documents you need will depend on the regulations, but the more complete the information that is provided to us by the customer, the faster we can prepare the necessary Customs documentation. We can also handle the export declaration, which is done digitally.
• Import documents (IM-A): These are Customs documents for the import of goods outside the EU. These documents determine how much taxes or duties are incurred at the time of importation. As part of the import process, we can also assist with payment of taxes and duties using our deferment account. Accurately completed documents and timely settlement of taxes and duties will help to deliver a fast import clearance. The import declaration is done digitally.
• Certificate of Origin: This document is proof of the country of origin of your goods and is also known as CoO. When presented with this document, Customs can decide whether you are allowed to import the product with a preferential duty rate.
• EUR1 certificate: This certificate is used to obtain an exemption or reduction on the import duties of the country where the goods are going. This includes countries such as Switzerland, Norway and Iceland.
• ATR certificate: This document of origin is required for the export of goods to Turkey. This certificate will receive a discount or an exemption on import duties in Turkey.
• Document endorsement: In some countries it is mandatory to have an invoice or packing list endorsed by the Chamber of Commerce in the Netherlands. Heebink can arrange this for you.