Three countries tighten up customs regulations

Shippers to India, Chile and Ecuador, take note CUSTOMS REGULATIONS in three countries have been changed, according to Debbie Nortje of Hellmann Worldwide Logistics, and should be noted by local traders. India has considerably tightened up its requirements for seafreight and airfreight documentation, she told FTW. The points to be noted are: l Consignee’s name on all documents must be consistent; l A shipment can stay for five working days under the “free period”; l On average it takes four working days to release a shipment if the consignee has all relevant documentation; l Customs will not accept photocopies of invoices to initiate clearance - requiring stamped and signed shippers’ originals. According to new Chilean customs regulations, requests for re-labelling and/or changing marks must be checked and passed by the regional director. “Changes,” said Nortje, “cost about US$25, and the procedure can take anything up to 48-hours. “Information should be right first time if shippers are to avoid this additional cost.” Ecuador, meantime, has introduced a host of new requirements, she added, and shippers would be wise to be aware of the following. The weight on all shipping documents must be in kilograms and Nortje advises rounding up part kgs to avoid confusion. The house airwaybill must contain all the following information: l Full name of company; l Full address; l ID or passport number of individuals, or the RUC number (which identifies the companies in Ecuador) for companies; l Telephone number. “Shipping documents must be sent out a minimum of 12 hours before the cargo is sent to Ecuador,” said Nortje.