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You’re looking to get your goods to a new location. However, getting products from your manufacturer or vendor to a new location where you don’t have a physical presence is a bit more complicated than conventional mail or even couriers who don’t cover you every step of the way. You must undergo customs clearance to become customs cleared so that the goods will be released for delivery to the final destination.
Customs Clearance Process
If you’re ready to send products across borders, the customs clearance process, especially ‘customs cleared,’ is an important concept to understand. No matter your destination, customs cleared is the successful movement of goods through a customs office or border authority.
Often, people only associate “customs cleared” with the destination country (importing), but customs formalities and processes need to be adhered to before the cargo can leave its home country as well (exporting). This can cause major problems for businesses looking to expand and become truly global-reaching.
What Does Customs Cleared Mean?
Customs cleared is the stamp of approval assigned to a package once it has been released by the customs department.
There is a distinct difference between customs clearance and customs cleared. Customs clearance is the process a shipment undergoes when the customs authority reviews the shipment prior to releasing it. Customs cleared is the aforementioned seal of approval issued by the customs department that releases the shipment into the country for free circulation.
Your shipment is now free to proceed to the next stage of its journey or delivery.
What Does Customs Cleared Mean For Imported Goods?
Customs cleared means that the government has given you the green light, following the customs clearance process, for your shipment to enter the country and for you to move your parcel down the line to the final destination.
So, what is the customs clearance process, and what can a seller expect at this point in the shipping journey?
The importance of having the correct customs paperwork for your specific products completed accurately can’t be understated. So, we’ll state it again—completing the right customs paperwork filled out properly is extremely important.
Just to recap:
- Customs clearance is a process a parcel has to undergo once it arrives in a country.
- Customs cleared means your parcel has undergone the necessary customs inspections, and the duties and taxes have been calculated and paid. The international shipment is then free and clear to move on to its next destination.