When cargo gets held up at customs, the typical reaction is to think that \u201ccustoms has stopped it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
However, that explanation rarely tells the whole story.<\/p>\n\n
In most international operations, delays do not begin at the time of customs clearance. They begin much earlier: when the documentation is prepared, the shipment is planned, or certain decisions are made without analyzing how they might affect the operation as a whole. <\/p>\n\n
For this reason, rather than talking about \u201ccustoms issues,\u201d it is better to talk about errors that end up coming to light during customs clearance.<\/p>\n\n
Knowing which ones are the most common can help reduce incidents, although each operation has its own unique characteristics and requires a specific analysis.<\/p>\n\n
A fairly widespread misconception is the idea that customs \u201ccreates\u201d problems.<\/p>\n\n
In fact, customs clearance is the point at which all the information provided during the transaction must be consistent.<\/p>\n\n
If there is a discrepancy, missing documentation, or information that requires clarification, it is precisely during that process that the issue will arise.<\/p>\n\n
That is why many companies feel that \u201cthe problem was customs,\u201d when in reality the root cause lay several days\u2014or even weeks\u2014earlier.<\/p>\n\n
Understanding this difference completely changes the way you prepare for an import.<\/p>\n\n
We already discussed the importance of documentation in the previous article, but it\u2019s worth emphasizing again.<\/p>\n\n
An incomplete commercial invoice.<\/p>\n\n
A description that’s too general.<\/p>\n\n
A document issued with information that differs from the rest of the transaction.<\/p>\n\n
Any of these details may require you to request clarification before completing the customs clearance.<\/p>\n\n
And that takes time.<\/p>\n\n
Not because there is necessarily a serious problem, but because the information must be consistent.<\/p>\n\n
Let’s imagine a company that imports industrial components.<\/p>\n\n
They are described as \u201cmetal parts\u201d on the commercial invoice.<\/p>\n\n
However, the rest of the documentation refers to a set intended for a specific production line.<\/p>\n\n
The difference may seem insignificant.<\/p>\n\n
However, from a documentation standpoint, it is important to determine whether the description accurately reflects the nature of the cargo.<\/p>\n\n
A prior review would have made it possible to detect that difference before shipment.<\/p>\n\n
<\/p>\n\n
Another common error that generates a high volume of inquiries relates to the classification of cargo.<\/p>\n\n
It’s not just a matter of assigning a code.<\/p>\n\n
The classification affects various aspects of operations and must accurately reflect the product’s characteristics.<\/p>\n\n
Trying to simplify this process or assuming that one product is the same as another because \u201cthey look alike\u201d can lead to problems down the road.<\/p>\n\n
That is why it is advisable to examine each cargo individually.<\/p>\n\n
This is especially true when it comes to technology products, machinery, industrial components, or cargo with specific characteristics.<\/p>\n\n
<\/p>\n\n
Some companies arrange transportation weeks in advance\u2026<\/p>\n\n
\u2026but they leave the paperwork until the last few days.<\/p>\n\n
This situation significantly increases the risk of unforeseen events occurring when there is already little room to react.<\/p>\n\n
Document preparation should be part of the initial planning.<\/p>\n\n
It should not be a task left until after the cargo is already in transit.<\/p>\n\n
<\/p>\n\n
An import made six months ago may appear identical to the next one.<\/p>\n\n
However, even small changes can completely alter operations.<\/p>\n\n
For example:<\/p>\n\n
Each of these factors may require a review of the documentation and logistics strategy.<\/p>\n\n
Automatically repeating the approach used in a previous operation isn’t always the best decision.<\/p>\n\n
<\/p>\n\n
Numerous actors are involved in an international operation.<\/p>\n\n
Supplier.<\/p>\n\n
Buyer.<\/p>\n\n
Logistics operator.<\/p>\n\n
Carriers.<\/p>\n\n
Customs agents.<\/p>\n\n
Warehouses.<\/p>\n\n
When everyone is working with different information, the likelihood of issues arising increases.<\/p>\n\n
Often, the problem isn’t that someone made a mistake.<\/p>\n\n
Quite simply, each participant has a different version of the information.<\/p>\n\n
That is why it is so important to have overall coordination of the entire operation.<\/p>\n\n
<\/p>\n\n
It’s common to hear phrases like:<\/p>\n\n
\u201cIf any problems come up, we\u2019ll deal with them when he gets here.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n In international logistics, this approach tends to increase the complexity of any issue.<\/p>\n\n The sooner a potential discrepancy is detected, the more options there are to resolve it without affecting the rest of the operation.<\/p>\n\n Once the cargo is already in transit or has arrived at its destination, there is usually less room to maneuver.<\/p>\n\n That is why a preliminary review can be much more effective than a subsequent correction.<\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n It would be unrealistic to claim that proper planning eliminates all risks.<\/p>\n\n There are external factors that no company can control.<\/p>\n\n However, a significant portion of the issues affecting the customs brokerage firm can indeed be detected before shipment.<\/p>\n\n Review the documentation.<\/p>\n\n Review the classification of the cargo.<\/p>\n\n Check for consistency across all documents.<\/p>\n\n Coordinate the various participants.<\/p>\n\n These measures do not guarantee that an incident will never occur, but they do help significantly reduce the likelihood of one happening.<\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n When a company considers ways to reduce customs delays, it usually focuses on the clearance process.<\/p>\n\n However, experience shows that the most important decisions are made much earlier.<\/p>\n\n Properly preparing the documentation, coordinating all participants, and analyzing the specific details of each transaction allows us to handle customs clearance with much greater confidence.<\/p>\n\n Every import involves different circumstances. Therefore, before beginning any operation, it is advisable to review all the factors that could influence the final outcome. <\/p>\n\n If your company is preparing to import goods or wants to minimize the risk of issues during customs clearance, at Archipi\u00e9lago Logistics Solutions<\/strong> we can analyze your operations and help you design the logistics strategy that best suits your needs.<\/p>\n\n Because while it is often possible to resolve a problem once the cargo has already been held up, the truly efficient approach is to prevent the problem from occurring in the first place.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When cargo gets held up at customs, the typical reaction is to think that \u201ccustoms has stopped it.\u201d However, that explanation rarely tells the whole story. In most international operations, delays do not begin at the time of customs clearance. They begin much earlier: when the documentation is prepared, the shipment is planned, or certain […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":3836,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[105,106],"tags":[108,110,107,109],"class_list":["post-3833","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-logistics-news","category-guides-and-tips","tag-canary-islands-customs-brokerage","tag-customs-delays","tag-customs-errors-in-the-canary-islands","tag-logistical-issues"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.archipielagologistics.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3833","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.archipielagologistics.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.archipielagologistics.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.archipielagologistics.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.archipielagologistics.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3833"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.archipielagologistics.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3833\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3839,"href":"https:\/\/www.archipielagologistics.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3833\/revisions\/3839"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.archipielagologistics.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3836"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.archipielagologistics.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3833"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.archipielagologistics.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3833"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.archipielagologistics.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3833"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Not all delays can be avoided, but many can be anticipated<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n
The best way to avoid customs issues starts before shipment<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n
Do you want to review a transaction before problems arise?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n