La Dolce Vita and Customs: A 3-Month Procedure Resolved in 3 Days

In the complex landscape of global trade, every shipment tells a story. But few are as compelling and full of intrigue as the one that saw logistics urgency, the history of Italian cinema, and the deep customs proficiency of Customs Support Group come together.

This case study explains how seamless cooperation between our Norwegian and Italian offices transformed a potential three-month bureaucratic roadblock into a swift three-day resolution, solidifying Customs Support Group as the most reliable partner for international import-export.

The Impossible Request: A Classic in Transit

The urgency began on a Friday afternoon when our colleagues at Customs Support Norway forwarded a critical request to our Italian team.

A major Norwegian client needed to transport a possession of immense sentimental and economic value: a magnificent 1963 wooden Riva speedboat. The boat, later identified as the model famously associated with Fellini’s La Dolce Vita movie, had to be shipped from Norway (a non-EU country) to Italy for crucial restoration work.

The critical issue? The truck was already scheduled to leave Norway the very next Sunday.

The Bureaucratic Challenge vs. The Norwegian Solution

Since Norway is outside the European Union, goods entering the EU temporarily (in this instance, for a year of restoration) and destined to return to the sender require a complex process known as Temporary Importation.

The Norwegian office completed their part flawlessly, handling the necessary exit documentation, including the Temporary Exportation papers, the CMR (international consignment note), and the T1 transit document.

However, while Norwegian Temporary Exportation is relatively straightforward, the Temporary Importation into Italy is notoriously complex. It requires formal approval through Italian Customs, a process that can take up to 90 days via the Customs Decisions System (CDS).

The truck carrying the speedboat was due to arrive at Italian Customs the following Tuesday. Without pre-approved Temporary Importation documents, the driver and cargo faced the certainty of being stranded for weeks, leading to significant extra costs and massive delays.

Italian Expertise: Three Days, Three Strategic Moves

Facing the critical 90-day waiting period, our Italian team leveraged its full domain expertise, demonstrating the power of effective cross-country collaboration:

• Financial Bypass (The Guarantee): Temporary Importation requires a guarantee covering the potential Duty/VAT costs. To bypass multi-day banking delays, Customs Support Italy guaranteed and instantly advanced the full required amount via bank transfer. This immediately secured the necessary financial coverage without requiring an advance payment from the Norwegian client.
• The Derogation and Fast Release: On Monday morning, one of our Certified Customs Brokers went straight to the Brescia Customs Office to request a Derogation (exemption) from the standard process. Thanks to our deep knowledge of local customs practices, we secured authorization to use the “simplified procedure”, processing the Temporary Importation directly on the declaration instead of through the slow CDS system.
• Unified Coordination: We acted as the single point of contact for both the shipyard and Customs. Despite communication issues with the driver (who was experiencing poor cell service in Switzerland), we quickly coordinated a photograph of the speedboat at the border. This provided Customs with the necessary visual verification for immediate clearance.

Final Success and Proven Reliability

Although the truck arrived late on Tuesday evening after Customs had closed, the declaration process was finalized the very next morning. By early Wednesday afternoon – just three business days after the initial urgent request – the driver was released, and the speedboat has been delivered safely at the shipyard for restoration.

This remarkable result was achieved through the perfect synergy between our Norwegian and Italian teams, and our ability to proactively manage and expedite every legal, financial, and logistical facet of the customs process.

If your business faces complex customs challenges and requires a partner who can quickly turn a potential crisis into a measurable success, Customs Support Group is the partner you need.