Import and export declarations, permits, and compliance handled correctly, on any route worldwide.
An import declaration is the formal statement to customs describing exactly what is arriving, its value, its origin, and the tariff classification that determines what duty and VAT apply. Every commercial shipment entering the country needs one before it can be released, and the accuracy of that declaration is what determines whether release happens within hours or drags into days.
The information required covers the commercial invoice value, the HS code for each item, the country of origin, and the incoterm under which the goods were sold. If any of that is missing, inconsistent with the physical cargo, or simply wrong, customs will query it, and the shipment sits in the bonded warehouse until the query is resolved. A misclassified HS code is one of the most common causes of a hold, because it can change the duty rate customs expects to collect.
We work with a specialist customs team and, for air and sea shipments, file a pre-alert before the cargo even arrives. That means the declaration is largely prepared in advance, based on documents we have already checked, so clearance is ready to go the moment the shipment lands rather than starting from a blank page once it is already sitting in the warehouse.
Every commercial export from the EU needs an export declaration, commonly referred to by its EX1 form reference, filed before the goods leave. From you, we need the commercial invoice, an accurate description of the goods, and their value and weight. From there, we prepare and file the declaration, arrange any licences the goods require, and issue the movement reference that has to accompany the shipment to the point of exit.
Getting this right before departure matters because an incomplete or incorrect export declaration can stop a shipment at the border, sometimes after it has already left your premises. Correcting it in transit costs time that a declaration filed properly the first time would never have cost, so we check it before the truck or the flight, not after.
A single error on a customs declaration can hold your cargo for days. We check everything before it moves — not after.
Certain goods cannot move without a specific licence or permit, regardless of how correctly the rest of the paperwork is prepared. Controlled goods, certain chemicals, and shipments to specific restricted destinations all fall into this category, and the requirement depends on the exact combination of what is being shipped and where it is going. We advise on this at the quotation stage, before a shipment is booked, so a licence requirement does not surface as a surprise once the cargo is already moving.
For goods travelling temporarily, such as equipment for a trade show or a repair job abroad, an ATA carnet allows them to cross borders without paying duty each time, provided they return within the validity period. For goods that need to prove where they were manufactured, we prepare certificates of origin, which some destination countries require before they will apply preferential duty rates or allow entry at all.
Getting customs documentation wrong is not a minor administrative inconvenience. Cargo held at port accrues storage charges for every day it sits there. Fines can follow a misdeclared value or an incorrect HS code, sometimes well after the shipment has already been released, once an audit picks it up. Perishable goods spoil while they wait in a bonded warehouse for a query to be resolved. Production lines waiting on a critical component sit idle, at a cost that dwarfs whatever was saved by rushing the paperwork in the first place.
We approach customs compliance from the other direction. Everything is checked before the shipment moves, not after it has already been flagged. Documents are reviewed against the physical cargo, classifications are verified, and anything that looks inconsistent is resolved with you before it becomes customs' problem to raise. It is a less dramatic way of working, but it is the one that keeps cargo moving instead of sitting in a warehouse.
You share shipment details and commercial documents with us.
We check everything and flag anything missing or incorrect.
Import or export, filed through our customs partner.
We inform you immediately of any queries from customs.
Cargo released and moving. You receive confirmation.
At minimum, a commercial invoice, packing list, and details of the goods including their value, weight, and country of origin. Depending on the shipment, we may also need a certificate of origin, an export or import licence, or a dangerous goods declaration. We tell you exactly what applies to your specific shipment rather than sending a generic checklist.
An EORI number is a unique identifier used by customs authorities to track shipments and the businesses responsible for them. If you are importing or exporting commercially, you need one. If you do not already have one, we can guide you through registering for it before your first shipment moves.
When the declaration is prepared correctly and pre-alert has been filed, clearance for a straightforward shipment can happen within hours of arrival. It takes longer when documentation is incomplete, a licence is missing, or customs selects the shipment for a physical inspection. We build the process to make the fast outcome the likely one, not the exception.
We find out why, resolve it directly with the customs agent or authority, and keep you informed of what is happening and what it means for your timeline. A hold usually comes down to a documentation query or a request for further information, and most are resolved once the missing piece is provided.
The declaration is the document filed with customs describing the shipment. Clearance is the outcome, the point at which customs formally releases the goods so they can continue their journey. You cannot get clearance without first filing a correct declaration, which is why we focus so much attention on getting the declaration right the first time.
You do not need to arrange a separate broker. We work with a specialist customs team as part of the service, so declarations, licences, and any queries from customs are handled through us. You have one contact for the whole shipment, including the customs side of it.
Tell us about your shipment and we will get back to you with a clear, all-in quote.