5 Customs Mistakes Many People Make

Transferring goods across international borders has always presented a host of legal challenges. It's impossible to perfectly streamline the process, but there are some simple mistakes you can try to avoid.

Getting Legal Advice From Non-Lawyers

A lawyer costs money, but there's a reason for that. If you're working with a broker or a freight forwarder, you should leave them to simply do their job. Asking them for legal advice is a good way to have a bad time. No matter how experienced they might be, they're no substitute for actionable guidance from a customs attorney. Your lawyer will keep you up-to-date on topics ranging from what changes are coming in the next year to how different jurisdictions handle problems.

Failing to Respond to Requests for Information

Folks within the customs bureaucracy have to make sense of a slew of things that come through their domains every day. No matter how good they are at doing the work, they're eventually going to have some questions. That may mean you'll receive phone calls, emails, texts, and even written letters.

When you're contacted by customs, make every effort to get in touch with them ASAP. If you're not 100% sure about the legalities of a situation, call your customs attorney and tell them about the notices you received. They'll understand what the requests are about and how to respond to them. Otherwise, don't be shocked when shipments end up held up for months.

Handling Everything In-House

It's tempting to try to save a buck by cutting out brokers, forwarders, and lawyers. No major company does that. Quite the opposite happens, with bigger companies leaning harder on third parties to provide specialized support and guidance.

Dealing with the customs systems means interacting with a large, slow-moving government entity and many smaller, faster-moving parties. It's a lot to keep track of, and you're better off relying on others to deal with logistics and documentation.

Not Knowing the Penalties

Customs violations can lead to penalties that go from small surcharges under civil law up to jail time under criminal law. You don't want to be waiting for someone to post bail because a piece of paper was missing from a shipment.

Not Maintaining Impeccable Records

If you do end up in court, your entire case is likely to hinge on what you can document. Have a computerized system in place, and use paper copies to provide redundancies on top of redundancies. You will never regret having extensive and accurate records in this business.

Contact a customs attorney to learn more.

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