Study Guide
2. Clearance of goods and other customs procedures
2.3. Pre-Arrival Processing
Kyoto Standard 3.25 is particularly important in the context of trade facilitation. It requires national legislation to allow customs declarations and supporting documents to be lodged before the goods arrive. This gives customs a head start: screening can begin in advance, and a high percentage of shipments can be pre-cleared on the strength of that early information.
Pre-arrival checks can be done more efficiently with automated systems, but they do not depend on electronic clearance procedures and can be introduced while manual processing is still in use. The term "pre-clearance" is often used for this process, but pre-clearance is not the same as pre-release.
Pre-clearance is not the same as pre-release
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Pre-clearance |
Pre-release |
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• Customs can pre-screen and pre-clear a high percentage of shipments based on information provided before the goods arrive. May still be conditional on: • Payment of duty • X-ray scanning • Physical examination if the consignment raises concerns |
• The goods are released and free to move into domestic distribution. Granted only after: • All pre-clearance conditions are met • Customs is satisfied no further intervention is required |