Consignments that clear on first presentation.
Demurrage and storage almost never come from the freight. They come from a wrong code, a missing certificate or a valuation nobody could explain.
Experience across different customs regimes
Each of our markets has its own conformity scheme. What clears in one Gulf state without comment can hold a container for weeks in the next.
- Germany & DACH
Deutscher Marktzugang & B2B-Vermittlung
- European Union (EU)
Harmonisierter Gemeinschaftstarif (TARIC)
- North America (USA & Canada)
US Customs & Border Protection (CBP)
- Asia-Pacific Global Hubs
Werksaudits & Qualitätsgarantie vor Ort
Regulatory requirements change frequently. The table is an orientation, not legal advice — every consignment is assessed against the rules in force at the time of import.
Six disciplines behind a clean clearance
Each one can stop a consignment on its own. Together they are the reason most delays never reach our clients.
- 01
- Tariff classification
- The HS code decides the duty rate, the required certificates and whether a consignment is restricted. We classify before purchase, not at the border, and document the reasoning so it holds under audit.
- 02
- Customs valuation
- Transaction value, assists, royalties, freight and insurance components declared correctly and consistently. Under-declaration is not a saving; it is a liability with interest.
- 03
- Documentation
- Commercial invoice, packing list, transport document, certificate of origin, conformity certificates and legalisation assembled as one set before departure.
- 04
- Rules of origin
- Where a trade agreement applies, origin evidence is prepared properly rather than leaving the preferential rate unclaimed.
- 05
- Restrictions & permits
- Import licences, standards approvals and category registrations identified in advance — the most common reason goods are held at the border.
- 06
- Trade law & sanctions
- Screening of counterparties and destinations, dual-use questions and embargo checks. Where a transaction cannot be done cleanly, we say so before it starts.
Three checkpoints, none of them at the border
The checks sit where a correction is still cheap. Once the container is at the port of destination, every option costs money.
01 · Before purchase
- HS classification and duty estimate
- Import restriction and permit check
- Registration requirement identified
02 · Before shipment
- Document set reviewed against destination rules
- Labels and markings verified
- Independent inspection where required
03 · Before arrival
- Declaration prepared and pre-lodged
- Duty and taxes calculated and funded
- Clearance agent briefed on the file
Have a consignment you are unsure about?
Send the product, the origin and the destination. You get the likely classification, the duty exposure and the paperwork the destination will ask for.