Most clearance delays are not caused at the counter. They are caused by paperwork that was incomplete before the ship arrived.
A clean pre-arrival file lets a Bill of Entry be filed and assessed before berthing under the advance clearance route, so examination, duty payment and release happen in one continuous pass instead of a series of stops and queries.
The checklist
- Commercial invoice and packing list reconciled to the bill of lading, no mismatched quantities or values.
- HS classification agreed in advance, so duty is not disputed at assessment.
- Licences and certificates already in hand, BIS, FSSAI, drug licence, or whatever your product needs.
- IEC and AD code registered at the port of import.
- Duty funding arranged so payment does not stall release.
Why it works
Each item above is a question a customs officer would otherwise raise mid-clearance. Answer them before arrival and there is nothing left to query.
Our customs team runs this checklist on every consignment. The result is a predictable release, not a hopeful one.