Custom clearance is the most important process to exceed cargo shipping in international shipping. Sometimes, the shipper will hire a freight forwarder or the customs broker to help them clear the customs, and they must pay the customs broker and freight forwarder.
Do I have to pay custom clearance fees? The customs clearance fee is when importing a country’s customs border, the importer must pay the customs. Custom clearance fee is the law obligation for importers, a necessary fee for them.
Many people know to pay the custom clearance cost, but don’t know what the customs clearance fee include and how to calculate it. We introduce the detailed information on this page.
What is a custom clearance fee?
Customs clearance fee refers to the cost of import and export goods, which must be declared to the customs, go through various procedures stipulated by the customs, and fulfill the obligations stipulated by various laws and regulations. Only after fulfilling various obligations and going through customs declaration, inspection, taxation, release, and other procedures, the goods can be released, and the owner can take delivery of the goods.
Who pays for the customs clearance fee? The importer prefers to find a reliable freight forwarder to help them handle these procedures. But the freight forwarder is just an executor. They don’t pay these fees in advance, they just provide the customs clearance documents such as bill of lading, commercial invoice, etc., and handle the customs clearance. It is the responsibility of the importer to pay the customs clearance.
What does the customs clearance fee include?
It has some main customs fees when referring to custom clearance, such as customs declaration fee, terminal fee, and agency fee. We will be detailed introduce these fees below.
Customs clearance fee
The customs clearance fee is made of the declaration fee, the VAT, and the import duty. These three kinds of fees will be calculated and collected according to the actual cost.
1. The customs declaration fees
This fee is paid according to per-ticket cargo. The customs clearance fees depend first on the type and nature of customs declaration, and at the same time depend on the export region and port. There are differences in fees due to different ports and regions.
If the shipper needs to clear the cargo customs in China, you can refer to the following customs clearance fees.
Shanghai port (document + customs declaration fee) RMB: 400.00 yuan/ticket.
Qingdao/Tianjin Wharf (document + customs declaration fee) RMB: 500.00 yuan/ticket.
Shenzhen/Guangzhou (document + customs declaration fee) RMB: 800.00 yuan/ticket.
The cost of each port, import, and export are slightly different, please consult our expert for details.
2. VAT and customs duty
Value-added tax is a turnover tax based on the value-added amount generated during the circulation of goods as the billing credential.
The customs duty is a tax imposed by customs on import and export goods passing through its customs border. The government can impose tariffs on both imported and exported goods, but import tariffs are the most important and the main trade measure.
The freight forwarder offers the actual invoice for the value-added tax and customs duty to the importer to reimburse.
Terminal handling charge
The handling fee refers to the operating costs that the stevedoring company pays to the shipper. Including all loading and unloading, translation, hoisting, and unloading costs of container goods during the docking period, as well as corresponding labor costs, equipment usage fees, and other miscellaneous costs.
Customs broker’s fee
The customs broker is licensed by the Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and act on your behalf in all transaction with the customs. They submit the documents you offer to the customs and handle all the clearance procedures for your cargo.
You need to pay a certain reward to the customs broker; it belongs to a kind of service fee. The customs broker fee depends on the range and service they offer.
Inspection fees
This fee is used for cargo inspection when it passes customs. The customs official will inspect your cargo if they think your cargo is not meet their requirement. You need to pay all the operation fees during this time.
So, the inspection fee is not the basic fee you need to pay, it is the cost that you sometimes pay. At the same time, it will cause some customs clearance fees related to the inspection.
For example, if your cargo needs to be inspected by customs, you must pay for trucking to an inspection facility near the port. If the custom inspection forces you to keep the container at the port longer than your estimated time, you must pay for certain storage and detention fee.
How much is the clearance fee for the package?
As far as we know, courier shipping is the standard way for small packages to export or import. As mentioned above, custom clearance is important for the import, and how much is the customs clearance fee for the package?
FedEx customs clearance fees
The FedEx custom clearance is included if you used the FedEx shipping service. However, if your cargo has a special requirement for clearing the custom or you require special processing from the FedEx broker. They will apply and charge the service fee incurred during this time.
You may be charged these fees for the customs clearance service in some countries. FedEx’s total customs fee for these ancillary customs services will be listed on your duty and tax invoice.
DHL customs clearance fees
The amount you’ll pay for customs clearance fees will depend on several factors, including the value of your shipment, the type of goods you’re shipping, and the destination country. DHL will usually provide you with an estimate of these fees when you’re booking your shipment, so you can factor them into your overall shipping costs.
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How can ASL offer the best discount for you?
As far as we know, a lot of the customs brokers take the opportunity to charge more due to the client’s unclear specific cost calculation and the customs process. One reliable freight forwarder can help you avoid unnecessary expenditures and customs delays.
Airsupply is such a freight forwarder company, we have experienced international customs clearance experts, and we can help you meet the ISF and pass the customs clearance smoothly. Not only with the customs document preparation but also with the best customs clearance fee. Need to get the best customs clearance fee? Click the button below to contact us.
