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Articles tagged: Customs documents
Collected OTSL knowledge base material on this topic. Open the article that applies to your cargo.
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DDP: I bought it, then got a duty and VAT bill
DDP reads like a no-surprises guarantee, yet an incomplete DDP ends with a duty and import VAT bill landing…
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First-time export outside the EU: where to start
Exporting outside the EU for the first time and unsure where to begin? We walk the path step by step: EORI…
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Proforma vs commercial invoice: which for customs
A proforma invoice is a non-binding offer used for deposits or shipment pre-advice. A commercial invoice is…
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EXW for exporters: why it is often a trap
EXW is the Incoterms rule with the seller's bare minimum of duties. For an exporter it can be a trap: the…
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Courier, Pallet Freight or Full Load: What to Choose and When
Courier, pallet freight (LTL) or a dedicated truck? The choice comes down to weight, dimensions, value…
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How customs duty is calculated: customs value, rate and VAT
Duty is your customs value multiplied by the tariff rate, and import VAT is charged on the customs value plus…
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Incoterms 2020 Explained: All 11 Rules in One Table (EXW to DDP)
A complete, citable table of all 11 Incoterms 2020 rules (EXW, FCA, CPT, CIP, DAP, DPU, DDP plus the sea…
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What customs clearance really costs: the price components you learn about from the invoice
The advertised price usually covers a basic declaration under standard conditions. Extra HS codes, T1…
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Document neutralisation: delivering to the end customer without revealing your supplier
Document neutralisation lets you deliver goods to the end customer without your supplier and buyer ever…
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Incoterms mismatch DAP versus DDP: who really pays customs duty and import VAT
When seller and buyer read the delivery term differently, the border produces an unexpected bill and a held…
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Mis-declared ADR goods: what happens when hazardous cargo travels as an ordinary pallet
When dangerous cargo travels as an ordinary pallet or with the wrong UN number, class or packing group, a…
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EUR.1 or origin declaration error on shipments to Switzerland: why the Swiss importer pays full duty
One mistake in the preferential origin proof and your Swiss importer loses the zero or reduced rate and pays…
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Un-discharged T1 transit: the guarantee is drawn and duty plus VAT land on you
When a T1 transit is not discharged in NCTS, the guarantee is drawn and import duty plus VAT fall due on the…
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Missing EORI or wrong VAT: why customs blocks the shipment and how to prevent it
A missing EORI or an invalid VAT number stops the customs declaration, and the truck sits idle at your cost…
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No ENS/ICS2 or GVMS/GMR: why your truck gets stuck at the UK border and who pays for the delay
Without an ENS/ICS2 declaration and a GMR number from GVMS, a truck will not board the ferry and can be held…
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Wrong tariff code (HS/CN): who pays the duty and VAT after a customs audit
A wrong tariff code is not a harmless typo: after a customs audit it triggers retroactive duty and VAT…
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Trailer breach on the road: driver safety first, load recovery second
What a driver should do the moment a trailer breach is suspected, how the load is recovered afterwards, and…
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Customs abbreviations glossary: CDS, GMR, GVMS, T1, EORI and the rest of the border alphabet
CDS, GMR, GVMS, MRN, ENS, EORI, EX, EAD, T1, T2, EUR.1, REX, ATA, LRN, C88/SAD, HS, CN, EIDR, CFSP. We…
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The customs tariff code (CN/HS): how to find it and why it matters so much
The tariff code decides the duty rate, VAT, requirements and restrictions on import and export. We explain…
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ENS Entry Summary Declarations for UK imports: who files, when and what
Since 31 January 2025 imports from the EU into Great Britain require an ENS safety and security declaration…
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ENS stop words (ICS2): the list of banned goods descriptions and how to describe a shipment
A description such as goods, samples or parts blocks an ENS declaration in the ICS2 system. We publish the…
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EORI number: what it is, who needs it and how to get one
The EORI number identifies a company in EU customs systems. We explain who needs one after Brexit and how to…
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Food safety after a trailer breach (EC 178/2002) | OTSL
When food is involved, a trailer breach is not only about the state of the goods but about the rules. Why…
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ELO, ENS, GMR, what they are and when you need them
Three terms you cannot move UK cargo without: ELO, ENS and GMR. We explain what they are and who prepares…
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