Incomplete supporting documentation is adding avoidable delays to e-commerce import clearances, according to Devlyn Naidoo, chairman of the Institute of Customs and Freight Forwarding (ICFF).
Speaking during an ICFF masterclass on customs clearance, Naidoo said importers and clearing agents should have the necessary documents ready before submitting declarations.
“When a customs declaration is processed, a Code 13 response indicates that goods have been automatically selected and that standard clearance documents must be submitted,” he explained.
However, traders sometimes took a day or two to provide these documents because they were still waiting for information from the importer, he said.
The delays could extend beyond standard paperwork. A Code 31 response requested additional supporting documents or specific information, Naidoo explained. Waiting for the South African Revenue Service (SARS) to issue this request before obtaining the relevant material could add another day to the clearance process.
“Why wait for SARS to ask you that? That adds another day and you would all know, especially on e-commerce with airfreight, that another day is another dollar,” he said.
Clearing agents should review an importer’s previous transactions to identify documents SARS regularly requested for particular products, Naidoo advised. Having these ready could allow agents to submit them with the initial Code 13 response, potentially avoiding a subsequent Code 31 request.
He also highlighted Code 35 reminders for outstanding documents, saying he had seen cases in which customs had issued as many as 12 reminders.
Clearing agents and their managers should monitor these reminders and address outstanding requests before attributing slow clearance to SARS, he said.
Better preparation and closer oversight of documentation could help reduce avoidable delays, particularly for time-sensitive e-commerce shipments moving by air, Naidoo said.
