Compliance & Reporting

Minimising the likelihood of fines is always a positive, but that’s not all that a customs compliance program can do for your business. By working with a specialist customs partner, you can also improve your efficiency, reduce your risk of delays, and save money from within the customs function.

Furthermore, adherence to a customs compliance program can open doors for your business and give you a competitive advantage. Responsible supply chains are important to many large organisations, so they choose to only work with others who also value them. 

For example, many companies will not consider you as a trading partner if you are not AEO-certified, which you can only become if you have customs processes of a high standard.

Ultimately, adopting a customs compliance program enhances your company’s reputation, strengthens client relationships, and builds a foundation for long-term international growth.

Customs Support Group is a leading provider of customs and trade solutions in Europe, and we have helped businesses of all shapes and sizes with our customs compliance programs.

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Yes, you should undertake a customs compliance program if you are engaging in international trade. 

Regulations and requirements are always changing, and having poor processes in place is an easy way for your organisation to miss something and receive penalties from the authorities – alongside other potential reputational or commercial damages.

A compliance program helps you to standardise processes, train employees, and implement controls to ensure that you are following best practices throughout your organisation. Even if you are not trading high volumes, you can obtain the benefits of a good customs compliance program, such as getting AEO-certified or obtaining special permits.

As regulations tighten globally, having such a program isn’t just about avoiding penalties but also about maintaining operational efficiency and the ability to adapt with minimal disruption.

CSG provides customs compliance programs throughout Europe, working with you to adhere to both local and cross-border regulations.

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To avoid customs fines, you should prioritise accuracy and adherence to regulations.

Inaccurate information is one of the biggest reasons for customs fines. Therefore, ensure that your invoice, packing list, certificate of origin, and transport documents show complete, correct information.

Your commodity code must also be accurate, as duty, VAT, licencing, and other considerations are attached to it. If you are unsure of which code is correct for your shipments, or there could be several interpretations, then binding advice is useful for avoiding costly penalties later – such as the authorities asking for years of underpaid duty.

For calculating your duty, ensure that you have followed the rules for valuation of your goods, and that you have declared the correct values for any freight, insurance, or other supplementary costs up until the border.

It’s worth scheduling and upkeeping regular audits of your shipments against licencing requirements, and refreshing the skills of your people involved in the customs process.

Customs Support Group provides assistance with customs compliance throughout Europe, where you can benefit from the experience of over 1700 specialists who have moved goods of all kinds across every border in the EU, UK, NO, and CH.

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Accuracy, consistency, and timeliness all form the foundations for excellent customs compliance reporting. All of these are supported by good practices for record keeping.

To have comprehensive records, use digital customs software to keep your declarations, commercial documents, and shipment data in one place. You can also use automation to reduce manual entry and the risk of inaccuracies, further safeguarding your customs compliance.

Ensuring your staff are well trained is another best practice, so it is worthwhile standardising your processes and making it a part of your onboarding and regular training.

The Customs Support Group is the number one provider of customs and trade solutions throughout Europe, helping you to be on top of your customs compliance and reporting.

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Depending on the size of your organisation, a customs compliance program can take three to 12 months, or even longer if you have a complex operation.

The process begins with a customs compliance scan, which identifies where you are doing well, where there are improvements to be made, and where immediate remedial action is required. This scan not only takes into account where you are at risk of noncompliance, but also uncovers where you can be more efficient and save money if you make a few changes.

From there, we work with you to develop policies, train staff, and implement tools or software to manage customs processes. This helps us to align with you and your key personnel, and also ensures that we can minimise the disruption to your operation so that you can continue to meet your customers’ demands.

Although a customs compliance program can take some time, this investment supports long-term business objectives and lays the foundation for sustainable growth. 

CSG has delivered customs compliance programs for companies throughout Europe, who now enjoy the benefits of reduced risk, better control, and enhanced efficiency.

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