What are customs procedures?

Customs procedures are the tasks that customs declarants and customs officers must perform according to regulations to clear imported and exported goods, as well as vehicles entering and exiting the country.

Customs procedures in Bac Ninh

The above is the concept of customs procedures as defined in Article 4 of the 2014 Customs Law.

In other words, these are the necessary procedures for goods or vehicles to be imported into a country or exported out of a country’s borders.

Example 1: My client wants to import 100 tons of beef from Japan by sea to Vietnam for consumption. We must go through customs clearance procedures for this beef, not just bring the goods through the border. This case is called importing goods.

Example 2: A Vietnamese textile company wants to ship a consignment of textiles for export to the US by air (Air cargo). They must complete export customs procedures, for example at Noi Bai Customs. This is called exporting goods.

Example 3: A shipping company (such as VOSCO) has a ship arriving at Hai Phong port from abroad to unload cargo. The ship’s agent must complete procedures with the customs authorities for the ship to enter the country. This is called entering the country with the means of transport. (This article does not focus on customs procedures for the entry and exit of means of transport).

In general, customs procedures can be considered the role of a legal “gateway” for goods to circulate across borders, helping international trade to be transparent, convenient, and in accordance with the law.

What is customs procedure in English?

By the way, here are a few related English terms for your reference, to make it easier to talk to your boss or foreign partners:

Customs Procedure: Customs Procedure
Customs Declaration: Customs Declaration
Customs Clearance: Customs Clearance
Customs Broker: Customs Broker
Customs Declaration Sheet: Customs Declaration Sheet