Customs clearance of cargo

Text

When transport means carrying cargo cross the border of the Russian Federation, the cargo as well as the vehicle is subject to Customs clearance and control. The documents are checked, the cargo is examined to ensure that the information stated in the documents is true to the fact and that no prohibited goods may come along.

(1) Customs clearance consists of 5 steps and starts with checking andregistration of a Cargo Declaration formandsupporting documents (Bills of Lading, Invoice, Packing List, Insurance Policies, Certificates of Origin, etc.). The documents are submitted electronically and in writing by the owner of the goodsor by a person acting on his behalf.

(2) Then customs officials defineand classify the goods in accordance with the Goods Nomenclature to apply the proper rate of tariff and check if the cargo is liable to any tariff preferences or tax privileges.

(3)Next they study the foreign trade contract and check if the true value of the goods is stated there. Having used the propermethod of customs valuation the officials assess the amount of duty to be paid.

(4)After that the duties are levied and it can be done on different terms. Depending on the company’s previous record and reputation, payment of duties may be deferred but in some cases the Customs may require to guarantee the payment.

Processing the documents, at each stage a customs official stamps “VERIFIED” on the back side of a Cargo Declaration form and puts the date, the time, his signature and personal identification number.

If shipment or entry is not authorized the Customs will return the documents and attach a Refusal Note indicating the reason for denial.

(5) After paper processing they pass over to practical examination. To speed up the clearance customs officers exercise risk management to target certain cargo consignments for inspection. Transit goods under seal are checked when they arrive in the country of destination.

Normally, the cargo is unloaded and stored at the warehouse; the vehicle is to enter a parking area. Examination of goods and transport meansis carried out by a group of customs inspectors.

In case the goods are of dangerous or sensitive nature, unpacking is done by experts familiar with the risks involved. When the cargo is found in bad or damaged condition or deficient in quantity, it may be put apart for further settlement of the situation with the owner or the carrier of the goods.

Finally the Customs Office Chief stamps “CLEARED” on the documents stating that the cargo and transport means are releasedfrom customs control.

Working on the text

Ex. 1 Read and translate the text.

Ex. 2 a) Cross out silent letters in the following words and practice their reading:

government, right, prohibition, vehicle, consignment, design, sign, freight, column, high, whole, wholesale, scheme

Ex. 3 Find in the text the English equivalents of the following:

грузовая декларация; транспортное средство; проверка и регистрация; Товарная номенклатура; метод определения таможенной стоимости; сумма пошлины; условия; личный идентификационный номер; сертификат происхождения товара; международный контракт; причина отказа; отправка или пропуск в страну

Ex. 4 Match to make word combinations and translate:

parking processing

practical preferences

customs area

supporting privilege

paper examination

tax assessment

risk Nomenclature

tariff List

Goods documents

Packing clearance

Ex. 5 Find words in the text that follow the verbs below:

a) to submit _____

b) to classify _____

c) to apply _____

d) to assess _____

e) to ensure _____

f) to release _____

g) to put _____

h) to levy _____

i) to process _____

j) to defer ______

Ex. 6Insert prepositions.

1) … is subject _____ clearance and control

2) … clearance starts _____ checking and registration

3) … the documents are submitted _____ the owner

4) … it can be done _____ different terms

5) … depending _____ the company’s record

6) …they pass _____ to practical examination

7) … the cargo is stored _____ the warehouse

8) … experts familiar _____ the risks involved

9) … the reason _____ denial

10) … the cargo is released _____ customs control

Ex. 7 Put the actions of customs officials in the chronological order and make sentences using these verbs:

to process, to identify, to clear, to assess, to classify, to examine, to study,

to stamp, to check, to register, to levy, to release, to apply, to use

Ex. 8Find in the text the words corresponding to the following definitions:

a) to move things or people from one place to another in a vehicle

t _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

b) a special right that only a small number of people are given

p _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

c) a formal written agreement between two people or companies

c _ _ _ _ _ _ _

d) the things that a ship, plane or vehicle carries from one place to another

c _ _ _ _

e) when people, companies or countries do business by buying and selling things

t _ _ _ _

f) an agreement in which you pay a company money and then they pay the costs if

you get ill or have an accident

i _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

g) information that you write down and keep so that you can look at it later

r _ _ _ _ _

h) a large building for storing materials or things that will be sold

w _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Ex. 9 Answer the questions:

1.Why is cargo together with the vehicle subject to customs control?

2.What does the clearance start with?

3. What documents are checked?

4. How must the documents be submitted?

5. For what purpose do customs officials use the Goods Nomenclature?

6. What is taken into account when they assess the amount of duty payable?

7. Must the duties be paid at once?

8. When is paper processing over?

9. What happens if shipment or entry is not authorized?

10. Where is the cargo examined?

11. How is the examination carried out?

12. What if the goods arrive in bad or damaged condition?

13. When can the goods be released from customs control?

Ex. 10 Translate the sentences from Russian into English:

1. По прибытии в страну любое транспортное средство вместе с грузом подлежит таможенному оформлению.

2. Предъявите, пожалуйста, сопроводительные документы на груз.

3. Транспортные средства и грузы проходят оформление в зоне таможенного контроля.

4. Груз обычно сопровождается следующими документами: Грузовая таможенная декларация, инвойс, сертификат происхождения и др.

5. Таможенники используют Товарную Номенклатуру, чтобы классифицировать товар и установить какой тариф применять.

6. Существуют различные способы определения таможенной стоимости, которые применяются при начислении пошлин.

7. Когда мы оформляли свой груз, таможенники не требовали гарантии проведения платежа.

8, После оформления документов на обратной стороне Грузовой таможенной декларации было пять штампов с надписью «ПРОВЕРЕНО».

9. Товар был досмотрен на таможенном складе, и никаких запрещенных товаров не обнаружили.

10. В случае поставки товаров, не соответствующих по качеству и количеству условиям внешнеторгового контракта, таможенники урегулируют ситуацию с поставщиком или перевозчиком данного товара.

11. Когда начальник таможни поставил на документы штамп «ВЫПУСК РАЗРЕШЕН», груз был выпущен из зоны таможенного контроля.

Ex. 11Get ready to speak on the topic.

Ex. 12 Render the newspaper article.

Smuggling Attempt Prevented

A 24-year-old woman was arrested by CBP officers after they found two undocumented male migrants hidden in a 2006 Dodge she was driving. The woman accompanied by her young son presented a U.S. passport to the officer.

During the primary inspection the officer reached behind the driver’s seat and felt a person. The officers escorted the driver and the vehicle into the secondary inspectional area for case processing. There officers discovered a 32-year-old and a 22-year-old migrants, who were citizens of Mexico.

The migrants and the driver were taken into custody and the vehicle was seized by CBP. The 32-year-old Mexican will be a material witness in the prosecution case. The driver was arrested and transported to the Correctional Center to await arrangement for federal district court charged with alien smuggling. The driver’s son was turned over to a family member.

Grammar

The Infinitive.

Ex. 1Find in the text examples of the Infinitives. Underline them.

Ex. 2Insert “to” where necessary.

1. The cargo is examined ___ ensure that the information stated in the documents is true to the fact.

2. Having used the proper method of customs valuation the officials assess the amount of duty ___ be paid.

3. After that the duties are levied and it can ___ be done on different terms.

4. Depending on the company’s previous record and reputation, payment of duty may ___ be deferred.

5. In some cases the Customs may ___ require ___ guarantee the payment.

6. Normally, the cargo is unloaded and stored at the warehouse, the vehicle is ___ enter a parking area.

7. ___ speed up the customs clearance customs officials exercise risk assessment.

8. I think I shall be able ___ use this new technology.

9. Let me ___ help you ___ process the documents.

Ex. 3Complete the sentences using the Infinitive:

1. To work for the Customs is to . . .

2. When you work for the Customs it is important to . . .

3. Customs officers try to . . .

4. The main thing the passengers should do is to . . .

5. They apply to the Customs to . . .

VOCABULARY

transport means vehicle to clear / clearance / “CLEARED”     to ensure   Cargo Declaration form Bill of Lading Invoice Packing List Insurance Policy Certificate of Origin   to submit to define the Goods Nomenclature tariff preferences tax privileges customs valuation to record / record   to defer to guarantee to process to verify personal identification number shipment entry to authorize to attach a Refusal Note to deny / denial to release / release   risk assessment to target / target in bad or damaged condition   deficient in quantity

транспортное средство автотранспортное средство выполнить таможенные формальности / оформление / «ВЫПУСК РАЗРЕШЕН» обеспечивать, гарантировать, убеждаться Грузовая таможенная декларация коносамент / инвойс счет-фактура поместная спецификация полис страхования свидетельство о происхождении товара представлять, передавать давать определение, устанавливать Товарная номенклатура льготный тариф льготное налогообложение таможенная стоимость регистрировать, протоколировать / запись, протокол, сведения откладывать, отсрочивать гарантировать, обеспечивать обрабатывать, оформлять проверять, подтверждать личный идентификационный номер партия груза / отправка въезд / ввоз разрешать, санкционировать прилагать Уведомление об отказе отрицать, отказывать(ся) / отказ освобождать, выпускать / освобождение, выпуск оценка риска намечать, целиться / цель, мишень в плохом или поврежденном состоянии в недостаточном количестве

UNIT 12

The TIR CONVENTION

Text

International carriage of cargo by road vehicles involves crossing the borders of one or more countries and passing through customs clearance and control.

To simplify the formalities and to minimize delays at the borders the TIR Convention was signed in 1975 and came into force in 1978.

TIR is the abbreviation for Customs Convention on the International Transportation of Goods. The TIR system allows to replace expensive physical inspectionin the countries of transit for checking seals and the external conditions of the vehicle. It contains four main requirements:

(1) With regard to security it requires that goods must be carried in such road vehicles or compartments of containers that no goods can be removed from or introduced into the sealed part of the vehicle without breaking customs seal.

(2) The second principle is the guarantee system. The system ensures that customs duties and taxes during transit operations are paid at any moment by a National Guaranteeing Association, if the transport operator cannot be held responsible.

(3) The third principle is the TIR Carnet. The goods must be accompanied by an internationally accepted document – Carnet, issued at the check point within the country of departureand serving as a control document at the borders in the countries of departure, transit and destination.

(4) The last principle is the international recognition of customs control measures: when goods are transported under this transit regime, the Customs office of departure checks the goods, seals the vehicle, reports it in the TIR Carnet and the cargo is transported without further unloadingand inspection in the countries of departure, transit and destination.

When the cargo arrives at the Customs office of destination, they become responsible for the goods to be transferred to another Customs procedure.

Nowadays the Convention has been signed by more than 50 Contracting Parties. It covers the European Union, North Africa, Near and Middle East, the USA, Canada, Chile and Uruguay. A number of countries in Western and Central Africa and Latin America are also considering the establishment of the TIR system.

Since 1978 the Convention has proved that it is one of the most successful transit systems because it contains provisions for a multi-modal transit regime in line with modern techniques and requirements and offers transport operators and Customs authorities a simple, cost-effective and safe regime for the international transportation of goods across frontiers.

Working on the text

Ex.1Read and translate the text.

Ex.2Find in the text the English equivalents of the following:

международные перевозки; автотранспортное средство; задержки на границе; внешнее состояние; основные требования; безопасность; таможенная пломба; система гарантий; международный документ; страна отправления, транзита, назначения; меры таможенного контроля; разгрузка; таможенный режим; стороны, подписавшие конвенцию; перевозчики