Customs Declaration

Customs declaration refers to the process in which the consignor or consignee of import and export goods, the person in charge of the means of transport, or their agents declare to Customs in accordance with the law, submit the prescribed documents and certificates for inspection, and accept Customs supervision and complete release procedures when goods enter or leave the country. It is an indispensable part of international trade and applies to all goods entering or leaving the country, including general trade, processing trade, cross-border e-commerce, and others. Precautions include: customs declaration must be completed within the prescribed time limit (for example, imported goods must be declared within 14 days from the date the means of transport is declared for entry), accurate and complete documents must be provided (such as invoices, packing lists, contracts, licenses, etc.), and information such as cargo value, country of origin, and tariff classification number must be declared truthfully; otherwise, fines, late declaration fees, or even smuggling charges may be faced. Unlike "customs clearance," customs declaration refers only to the act of declaration, while customs clearance covers the entire process of declaration, inspection, taxation, and release; compared with "customs transit," customs declaration emphasizes the act of declaration more, while customs transit focuses on the completion status of the entire procedure.