5. Transparency in the administration of Customs valuation

5.6. Valuation Advice

Importers using self-assessment may encounter valuation issues they have not dealt with before and may be uncertain about how to correctly declare the Customs value.

Scenario

An importer receives complicated machinery as project aid goods, supplied free of charge, and is unsure how to value them for Customs purposes. Or a sample of a new product is imported with no available value information. In such situations, Customs should offer the importer the opportunity to request a Valuation Advice.

Valuation Advice is not a determination of Customs value before importation. It is an explanation of how to address a specific valuation problem. The importer remains free to decide whether to follow the advice when making the formal Customs declaration.

Many modern Customs Administrations provide valuation guidance as a trade-facilitation service. This may take the form of non-binding advice or, in some jurisdictions, legally binding valuation rulings (e.g. Canada) that give traders certainty before importation under an Advance Ruling facility. Private consultancy firms also advise their clients on customs valuation, but such advice has no legal effect.

Valuation Advice is a complement to the self-assessment system and is provided for goods not yet formally imported. Valuation Rulings go one step further.