Customs procedures services for import and export goods

Customs services include tasks related to the clearance process of shipments, which involve many complex steps that must comply with various customs regulations. Therefore, a reputable customs service provider must ensure that customs procedures are fully completed in accordance with legal requirements. The following article provides detailed information about the customs clearance process and recommends reliable and trustworthy customs service companies today.

1. Overview of Customs Procedures

Before exploring customs services, it is necessary to understand what customs procedures are and the basic tasks involved.

1.1. What are customs procedures?

Customs procedures are one of the most important aspects of the clearance process, as they must be properly and fully completed before importing or exporting goods.

According to the 2014 Customs Law, Clause 24, Article 4 defines customs procedures as follows:

“Customs procedures are the tasks that customs declarants and customs officers must perform in accordance with the provisions of this Law regarding goods and means of transport.”

In other words, customs procedures are necessary to ensure that goods and means of transport can be imported and exported smoothly across borders.

1.2. Tasks involved in customs procedures

Specifically, the customs procedure process includes the tasks regulated in Article 21 as follows:

For customs officers and customs authorities:

• Receive and register customs dossiers.
• Check and reconcile customs dossiers with the actual condition of goods and transport vehicles.
• Collect taxes and other charges according to legal regulations on fees, taxes, and other related laws.
• Decide on the clearance of goods and confirm that transport vehicles have completed all required customs procedures.

For customs declarants:

• Prepare and submit customs declarations and provide or present documents included in the customs dossier.
• Transport goods and vehicles to the designated locations for inspection of the actual condition of goods and vehicles.
• Pay taxes and fulfill other financial obligations according to relevant laws on fees, taxes, and related regulations.

>> Read more: Agricultural Export Procedures

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Customs services perform tasks to complete all necessary procedures to ensure that goods and transport vehicles meet the conditions for smooth import/export across borders.

1.3. Customs operation areas

• Land border gates, international civil airports, and international railway stations.
• Customs-controlled storage areas, customs-preferential zones, and export processing zones.
• Inland water ports, seaports with import/export, entry/exit, and transit activities.
• Locations for inspection of imported/exported goods within customs territory.
• Customs clearance locations, bonded warehouses, foreign trade warehouses, international post offices, or the declarant’s premises for post-clearance inspection.
• Other locations or areas meeting state management requirements, approved by the Prime Minister for import/export, entry/exit, and transit of goods and transport vehicles.

2. Understanding current customs procedure services

Customs services include specific tasks such as submitting electronic declarations, checking certificates of origin (CO), filing documents with customs authorities, coordinating with customs for animal/plant quarantine, food safety inspections, quality and safety checks, applying for permits, and registering cosmetics or food products.

Currently, there are two main types of customs services for businesses:

• Customs agents: Companies providing customs services use their own name and digital signature to fill out declarations. They also copy and submit all required documents to the relevant customs offices according to the service contract.
• Customs declaration services (third-party): Companies act on behalf of businesses using an authorization letter to handle customs clearance. The person providing the service does not appear as a legal entity or individual on customs documents.

Each method of performing customs procedures has its pros and cons. Third-party services are convenient, but since the service provider does not take legal responsibility, the business must resolve any issues on its own. Therefore, to ensure the safety of shipments and timely risk handling, businesses should choose a reputable logistics company to provide full-service customs procedures.

3. Import customs clearance procedure

Each type of goods requires different customs procedures. However, the basic customs clearance process includes the following steps:

3.1 Customs consultation

After receiving the request, the customs service provider will advise the business on important issues such as:

• Consult on applicable tax incentives.
• Advise on the appropriate HS code for each type of goods.
• Guide on required documents and procedure steps before declaration.
• Apply for permits for conditional goods (if applicable).
• Explain issues of concern to the business.
• Provide price quotations and sample contracts for the business to review and choose.

3.2 Declaration and clearance

The basic steps for declaration and clearance are:

Step 1: Receive, check, and prepare import/export documents.

Step 2: Prepare digital signatures and register with customs authorities.

Step 3: Install VNACCS customs declaration software.

Step 4: Register for specialized inspections (if any).

Step 5: Complete and submit customs declarations.

Step 6: Obtain delivery orders.

Step 7: Prepare customs dossiers.

Step 8: Complete procedures at the customs office.

Step 9: Clearance of goods.

>> Read more: Seafood Export Procedures

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Customs services must ensure full preparation of all shipping documents to complete import procedures.

4. Notes to remember when performing customs procedures

During the customs clearance process, businesses should keep in mind the following important points:

• Check if goods are eligible for exemption to ensure benefits when declaring on the system.
• For goods subject to VAT, enter the VAT rate code into the system for registration of import declaration.
• If using IDA, the system will automatically retrieve the applicable tax rate on the expected declaration date.
• If the same type of goods has different tax payment deadlines, separate declarations must be made corresponding to each deadline.

>> Read more: Wood Export Procedures

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During the customs clearance process, businesses need to pay attention to specific goods to ensure their rights and correctly follow import declaration procedures.

In summary, customs services involve a clearance process with multiple complex steps that must comply with various customs regulations. To ensure that procedures are completed quickly, legally, and without risks, the customs service provider completes all necessary import/export procedures on behalf of the customer.

5. Professional and Reputable Customs Service Provider – 3W Logistics

3W Logistics is recognized as a top-quality, professional, and reputable customs service provider.

5.1 Introduction to 3W Logistics

3W Logistics provides customs services at domestic seaports in Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Hai Phong, and Quy Nhon, as well as international airports Tan Son Nhat and Noi Bai. Additionally, 3W Logistics operates a diverse transportation network, including sea, air, and domestic road transport. They also offer warehouse rental services for storage and preservation of goods and raw materials during transit, all at competitive rates.

With a wide range of customs operations and smooth clearance conditions for businesses, 3W Logistics has completed customs clearance for hundreds of shipments, earning trust for its professional and dedicated service.

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3W Logistics is trusted for its professional and dedicated service, always ready to support customers at any time.

5.2 Customs services provided by 3W

3W Logistics offers customs procedures for import and export goods, including:

• Customs consultation tailored for clients, including tax calculation, HS code application, customs valuation, certificate of origin (C/O) preparation, import tax refund, and other relevant tax policies.
• Customs declaration services for full-ship, full-container, LCL (less than container load), and bulk cargo, covering a wide range of products such as wood, agricultural and seafood products, garments, textiles, household plastics, machinery, and consumer goods.
• Providing complete information on regulations of other countries for exports from Vietnam and imports into Vietnam, or third-party customs declaration services at the destination.
• Customs clearance for all types of operations, including commercial, investment, temporary import for re-export, temporary export for re-import, processing, and export-oriented production.

5.3 Benefits of choosing 3W for customs procedures

3W Logistics offers optimized customs solutions for clients. Customers benefit from free consultation on suitable clearance types to take advantage of tax incentives for each type of goods. With experience in clearing specialized products such as agricultural/seafood, garments, wood, furniture, and consumer goods, 3W Logistics efficiently completes import/export customs procedures according to specific requirements and flexibly handles unexpected situations. Additionally, clients receive guidance on proper document preparation, or 3W Logistics can complete the dossiers, procedures, and specialized inspections on their behalf.

Besides providing professional clearance services, 3W Logistics has a highly skilled advisory team familiar with tax procedures and workflows and regularly updates customs circulars and decrees. Clients are supported throughout inspections, audits, or in resolving unclear or disputable tax issues.

Thanks to these strengths, 3W Logistics delivers full-package customs services, helping customers save time, effort, and costs in import/export operations.

For more information about customs services or specific pricing for different periods and products, please REQUEST A QUOTE HERE or contact Hotline 028 3535 0087 for detailed consultation.