It is widely known that when we import from China and the products arrive in the destination country, they must go through customs. However, what happens there often escapes our control and can cause us more than one headache. We will try to explain in a simple way what customs is and what happens to our products.
Customs is a public office that deals with:
–Collecting tariffs depending on each imported product. It is mainly used as a measure to protect the domestic market.
Example: If our country produces a lot of olive oil, oil coming from abroad will pay a high tariff so as not to harm the domestic market. However, if we need to import fish because we are a landlocked country, the government will lower the tariffs significantly to make the product cheaper.
(This is a simplistic explanation, the system is obviously much more complex...)
The tariffs charged by the country of origin are public and available on the internet (often on official pages). The European Union has tariffs common to all its countries. MERCOSUR in theory does too, but there are many exceptions.
–Fight against fraud and smuggling. It goes without saying that without customs there would be free trafficking of drugs, stolen goods, weapons, counterfeit products, art and historical heritage, or even people.
–Prevention of damage to public health. This category includes animals that may endanger the local ecosystem, chemicals, toxic waste and food. The latter is especially important, as the import of food usually has special requirements that go beyond the collection of tariffs and the verification of the product.
There are cases, such as the USA, where the entry of food is extremely complex and requires a series of permits and tests that put off many traders.
–Compilation of statistics. Controlling what enters and leaves the country gives the government and private entities the ability to analyse the balance of trade, market trends, commercial peaks, etc.
Now that you know what customs is, we can explain the things that can happen there and how to avoid them (not always possible).
If you would like to import from China, please do not hesitate to contact us with no obligation.