A successful for the first online edition of the contact days with customs attachés (5-6/10)

The Belgian Customs Administration has an international network of five customs attachés attached to the Belgian Embassies in Brazil, China, India, Indonesia and Russia. In addition to their role in the fight against economic and commercial fraud, the customs attachés are an important point of contact for businesses. They provide useful information about the customs and excise regulations in their country and answer customs technical questions, but they can also contact the local customs administration or other local government services in case of blocked shipments or unclear procedures.

For some years now, the Belgian Chambers have been organising contact days with the Belgian customs advisers on their return to Belgium, but Covid-19 forced us to switch to an online edition. And it worked! During two days, 23 companies had the opportunity to discuss their questions or problems individually and in a confidential environment with a customs attaché. In many cases, they even had conversations with several attachés.

“Cooperation with the Customs Administration in Brussels to set up these contact days was excellent and the customs advisers were well prepared for the discussions with the companies,” said Veerle Geeraerts, coordinator at the Federation of Belgian Chambers of Commerce. “All of our companies were very satisfied with their contacts and certainly appreciate the business approach of Customs.”

The Customs attachés testimonials:

The Mercosur customs union (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay) is a market of 260 million consumers which will open from the entry into force of the EU-Mercosur Association Agreement. This provides for a gradual phasing out of import duties on the Mercosur side in terms of trade. Simplified customs procedures will also make it easier and quicker to import your goods.

China is not only a hub for international trade and industrial production, but over the years it has also become an important consumer market. China is also home to the world’s largest ports and a leader in cross-border e-commerce. There is plenty of work in the customs field, both import and export. The customs attaché in Beijing is ready to assist you.

Doing business with India is not always easy. There are many rules that are sometimes applied differently in practice than on paper. Nor does communication always run smoothly.  The customs adviser will help you to make things clearer and provide you with practical information.

The customs attaché post in Indonesia, the country within the ASEAN Association of Southeast Asian Nations with the biggest growth, was launched in August 2018. Indonesia is a very large market with 270 million consumers but it is also a protectionist market and the import/export rules are complex and change frequently. However, with the help and experience of the customs attaché, it is certainly not insurmountable.

“Russia is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma”, but the customs attaché will be happy to help you clarify its customs affairs.

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