Understanding electronic customs filing

Electronic customs filing - sometimes referred to as e-customs - covers all the information firms need to file digitally when making import or export declarations.

In many countries, these systems have now fully replaced traditional paper-based processes, allowing for faster reporting, better security, and easier international trade.

The EU, for example, as the world's largest customs union, is aiming to have a fully electronic system for import and export declarations by 2025. However, while some of these solutions are harmonized at the EU level, others are still managed by individual member states.

Other major economies also have their own systems, and even where these are similar there are likely to be enough differences to make it easy to get confused.

This highlights some of the difficulties involved in electronic customs filing across multiple jurisdictions, where each system may have slight deviations in what exactly is required or how electronic documentation should be submitted.

Making an electronic import declaration when bringing goods into a country, or a corresponding electronic export declaration when shipping items overseas, must be done carefully to ensure all the information is accurate and up-to-date.

This can be especially important when making claims for zero-tariff rated imports or ensuring you're complying with export control regulations.

Therefore, understanding exactly what information you'll need to provide is critical in making sure you remain in compliance with all local requirements both in your home territory and abroad.

While the specifics for what details must be included and how documentation should be filed can vary by jurisdiction, in general there will be a few common elements that must go into an electronic customs filing.

For example, the EU lists the following information as essential parts of a commercial invoice, which is a key part of filing an import clearance declaration:

• Details about the exporter and the importer (including name and address)
• Description of the goods (name, quality, etc.)
• Unit of measure
• Quantity of goods
• Unit value
• Total item value
• Total invoice value and currency of payment
• Terms of payment (method and date of payment, discounts, etc.)
• Terms of delivery according to the appropriate Incoterm
• Means of transport

Other documentation, such as a Country of Origin (COO) certificate from the exporter, will also be required depending on the type of items being shipped, so it's vital all this is in good order at the point of export and import.

With so much digital paperwork involved, electronic customs filing may be easier than traditional physical methods, but this does not mean it's easy. Therefore, firms looking to self-file should ensure they have suitable technology solutions in place that allows them to manage clearances and declarations across all countries where they do business from a single platform.

Solutions such as MIC's Customs Software (MIC-CUST®) offer easy answers to the sending and receiving of electronic data, both when filing with customs authorities and exchanging information with third parties like brokers and forwarders.

Having all the functionality for every country in a single location makes the process of filing customs declarations much easier and faster. One platform with an intuitive, uniform interface for all jurisdictions provides for better accuracy and reassures importers and exporters they are fully compliant at all times.

Some of the other key benefits of these tools include:

• Compliance with special customs regimes
• Easy recalculation of duties
• Automatic calculation of valuations
• Easy check of applicable licenses and restrictions
• Full data trail for internal and external auditing