International Customs & Duty

When sending a pallet internationally, your goods must pass through customs before delivery. Customs clearance checks the paperwork, calculates any taxes and duties, and approves the goods for entry into the destination country.

What happens during customs clearance?

• Customs review your commercial invoice and paperwork
• They calculate any duties and VAT owed
• Once payment is received, your pallet is released for delivery

How long does customs clearance take?

Most clearances are completed within a few hours, but delays can happen. We recommend allowing up to 2 working days in case of random inspections or missing paperwork. You cannot book a timed delivery through customs.

Who pays the customs charges?

Most of our deliveries use DAP terms. This means the receiver (the importer) is responsible for paying customs clearance fees, duties, and taxes in the destination country. If you select DDP, you as the sender cover these costs instead.

Why do I have to pay duty and VAT?

Since the UK left the EU, goods sent to Europe from Great Britain must clear customs and pay import duty and VAT unless the goods qualify as UK or EU origin. If they do, no duty applies, but VAT may still be charged. You must add a Statement of Origin on your commercial invoice to claim this relief.

Can I declare a lower value to reduce the charges?

No. Declaring a false value is illegal. Customs can seize your goods and issue fines if your paperwork is incorrect.

What happens if the importer refuses to pay?

If the receiver does not pay the customs fees, their options are:

• Pay to return the pallet to the sender
• Abandon the goods. These will be destroyed after a holding period

Delivery will not happen until customs fees are paid in full.

How much will the duties and taxes be?

Customs fees are calculated by the destination country. These charges depend on your commercial invoice details (commodity code, country of origin and value). We cannot quote these fees in advance. The receiver will be contacted by the customs agent to make payment before delivery.

Can I send a gift?

Yes, but the same customs process applies. In Ireland and Northern Ireland, you can send gifts to residential addresses. In other EU countries, you can only send to businesses. The receiver is still responsible for paying VAT and duties, even if the goods are a gift.