Customs pays extra attention to clothing and shoes imported from Asia, Turkey, and other countries. In particular, they check whether the declared customs value is correct, because experience has shown that these products often have unrealistically low declared values in order to pay less import duties. Customs carries out calculations on submitted declarations using declared product types, values, numbers, and weights to determine whether the declared values are realistic or not. This means that shipments containing clothing and shoes are often inspected.
Classification
Another challenge when importing clothing and shoes is that the classification of these types of products is very detailed. A difference in sleeve length or an ankle strap can lead to a different commodity code and a different applicable import duty. Of course, you do not want to pay too much or even too little and run the risk of additional tax assessments. Shoes and clothing are also subject to many different rules related to animal protection, and a violation of these rules can lead to severe sanctions.
The specialist in commodity codes
SGS Maco helps you to prevent problems when importing clothing and shoes. Our experts have extensive experience in determining the correct commodity codes for these types of products. We can also perform a scan on the applicable customs values and advise you on the documents you need to show that low values are legitimate. Together with our colleagues from other SGS Maco departments, we can also help you with all your questions about material composition, labelling, and other challenges that you might face when importing clothing and shoes.
