Audits and customs inspections are a crucial part of customs processes for importing and exporting goods legally. If authorities detect irregularities in the merchandise entering a country, the delivery process may face delays, as we mentioned in a previous post: “What happens when your shipment gets stuck in customs borders?” which can significantly affect a business.
Therefore, understanding customs inspections is important to navigate through these processes effectively. That is why in today’s article, we will be explaining what these procedures are about, their purposes, and the types of customs inspections carried out by the corresponding authorities.
If you want to know more about this topic, we recommend you keep reading the information we, as professional custom brokers in Manzanillo, prepared specially for you.
What are customs inspections?
Firstly, it is necessary to know what customs inspections are to understand their importance in customs processes. Customs inspections are official procedures conducted by customs authorities to verify the accuracy of declared information for import or export goods, as well as to ensure compliance with the corresponding laws.
These inspections are made at ports, borders, or warehouses and involve different check methods, such as physical, documentation reviews, or merchandise scanning. Later in this article, we will explain in detail the characteristics of these types of inspection.
What are the purposes of customs inspections?
As we mentioned before, the inspections have the objective of ensuring the safe exchange of products between countries, however, there are other purposes for these customs procedures. Next, we detail some of these essential purposes:
1.- Ensure compliance with regulations
All types of goods require specific documentation to comply with import or export regulations. Inspections allow authorities to verify whether the products delivered meet the requirements and standards, as well as to check if licenses and permits are in order.
2.- Collect duties and taxes
Another key purpose of customs inspections is to help authorities confirm that the correct tariffs are applied to imported and exported goods. The meticulous review of these tariffs allows the adequate maintenance of trade practices and generates significant revenue for the government, which supports the country’s economy.
3.- Guarantee public health and safety
These procedures are also critical to safeguard a country’s public health and safety by screening shipments for prohibited or restricted items, such as hazardous materials or counterfeit products.
By identifying and intercepting such items, customs authorities protect citizens from potential harm, ensure compliance with international safety regulations, and maintain the integrity of global supply chains. This aspect of customs inspections guarantees that only compliant and safe products are allowed to enter the market.
4.- Prevent illegal activities
Lastly, inspections can detect and prevent illegal activities such as fraud, smuggling, or other violations of trade agreements. With the support of agencies that offer custom broker services, authorities ensure the verification of elemental aspects such as value, classification, and quantity of goods to prevent misdeclaration issues that may undermine fair trade.
Types of customs inspections
Different types of customs inspections are applied to fulfill the purposes mentioned above, depending on the shipment’s characteristics, such as risk level, declared information, or the country’s regulation. Here are some of the most common types:
1.- Document inspection
One of these inspections involves the thorough review of documentation that comes with the merchandise. These documents are crucial to allow the transit of the goods, which is why any discrepancies can trigger additional inspection and even the seizure of the products.
Among the documents inspected during these procedures are commercial invoices, bills of lading, certificates of origin, packing lists, and permits or licenses in case they are required.
2.- Physical inspection
Besides document review, authorities also require a physical examination of some products to verify that the shipment does not contain risky or illegal products and their compliance with the declarations.
The verification is more likely to apply for high-risk shipments or when there are some irregularities during document inspection. Therefore, this type of inspection involves opening containers or packages to compare with the declared documentation and searching for prohibited or restricted goods.
3.- Scanner inspection
As part of today’s customs processes, it is possible to rely on advanced technologies to complete the verification of shipments with less invasive techniques. Here is where the inspection through imaging devices comes into play.
Scanner inspection helps identify suspicious items, such as hidden compartments or undeclared goods, without the need for physical searches, which offers a more efficient and easy way to ensure the goods comply with the law and regulations.
4.- Customs laboratory testing
Laboratory testing is required for clearance of special goods such as food, pharmaceuticals, or chemicals. With this type of inspection, authorities send samples for testing to ensure that all the products meet safety and quality standards; this way, public health is not compromised.
5.- Post-clearance audit
In some cases, customs may conduct audits after the clearance of goods to verify the traders’ compliance. This audit involves an extensive examination of documents, duties payment, assets, physical stock, and more. With it, customs can verify not only that the traders are fulfilling their obligations, but that the shipping security processes are working properly.
We hope this information is helpful for you to understand better customs processes and the requirements for a successful shipment. If you liked this article, share it on your social media, and stay tuned to our next blog updates for more information about international trade.
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