Questions

Customs clearance without a broker: your rights and options

Let us start with the rights and options that participants in foreign trade have when it comes to customs clearance. Any legal entity in Russia has the right:

1. To pay customs duties directly from its own settlement account to the Russian Treasury, bypassing intermediaries; all that is needed are the payment details, available in the foreign trade participant's personal account on the FCS website;

1. To file declarations and correspond with the customs authorities under its own seal and electronic signature;

2. To take part in customs inspections of its own goods and to deal with the inspectors.

A legal entity and a customs representative therefore formally have similar rights, but in the first case everything is done in the name of the company itself and in the second in the name of the broker. This is precisely where the key advantage of direct declaration lies: all the rights and the control remain with the company.

Our company provides consultancy services and helps clients set up their process in exactly this format — where declarations are filed by the client in their own name and with their own electronic signature. This gives transparency, control and flexibility in any situation.

We help the client quickly prepare everything needed for declaring goods themselves and support them at every stage:

• we check the set of documents for the transaction, identify any shortcomings and advise what to correct or add;

• we advise on how to draw up explanations and supporting documents correctly so that customs accepts them without queries;

• we help set up the best way of filing the declaration so as to minimise the risk of delays and additional checks;

• we help at the release stage, advise on dealing with customs and, where necessary, with foreign shippers or consignees (including in English).

The client gets full control: every declaration is filed in their name, every payment goes straight to the Treasury, and access to the foreign trade participant's personal account always stays with them. Even years later, if changes or corrections are needed, they can be made quickly and without intermediaries.

Our experience shows that this way of working is both cheaper and safer than having declarations filed under a broker's seal. When working through a representative, if their licence changes or they cease trading, it may be impossible to make corrections to old declarations without going to court. With self-declaration there are no such risks.

We are available round the clock: we help prepare documents and answer queries at night, at weekends and on public holidays if the situation calls for it. In difficult cases we step in promptly and advise until the matter is fully resolved.

We also advise clients on the customs value of goods. If the price of the goods is low, we will tell you which documents to prepare in order to confirm the value, avoid delays and recover the security deposit.

We work on a one-stop principle: carriage, support with customs clearance, certification and related services are arranged through one company and one contract. This is convenient and saves time and resources.

Our aim is to make the process as simple and transparent as possible for the client: we advise on the right course of action, prepare and check the documents, help file the declaration correctly in the name of your company and resolve any questions that arise — with no unnecessary intermediaries and no delays.