Electronic Customs Declaration

The electronic Customs declaration of goods is widely practiced in the world today. It is submitted to the Customs office in electronic form via the electronic communications channels. For these purposes the Customs offices should be adequately equipped.

In Russia, the first electronic Customs declaration was submitted in 2002.

In 2004, the Federal Customs Service adopted several legal acts determining the procedure for electronic declaration. Then it gradually began to be used by the Customs authorities, and certain participants in foreign trade switched to that form of declaration. Later the Federal Customs Service developed the means for electronically declaring goods through the Internet.

Thanks to the Internet declaration there is usually no need for the declarant to be personally present at the Customs office. In that case Customs clearance is performed rather quickly, taking as little as 15 minutes to release the goods after the electronic declaration is sent out.

After sending the electronic declaration, the declarant receives electronic notifications concerning all the stages of the declaration movement: receipt at a Customs office, acceptance, release, etc.

The Internet declaration, for instance, ED2 (Internet declaration in legal language) really speeds up the Customs clearance procedure. However, using the Internet declaration is not as simple as merely switching on the Internet. The declarant must sign the relevant agreement with the Federal Customs Service. His information systems must meet certain information security requirements and pass a special test.

Not all the Customs offices can currently accept electronic Customs declarations in the ED2 form yet, especially because they are inadequately equipped with the necessary hardware. However, the Federal Customs Service has worked out and is implementing the programme for gradually introducing ED2 throughout Russia. The list of Customs offices that are adequately equipped is being continuously renewed on the official web site of the Federal Customs Service of Russia.

Customs authorities intend to carry out an experiment in the remote release of goods. Its results will be used to decide whether that technology of Customs clearance should extend to all the Customs offices.

(“The Moscow Times”, 01 December, 2009)

Exercise 8. Read the text again to answer the following questions:

1. When was the electronic Customs declaration submitted in Russia?

2. What are the advantages of Internet declaration?

3. In what case does an Internet declaration speed up the Customs clearance?

4. What does the abbreviation “ED2” stand for?

5. What are the barriers for overall acceptance of electronic Customs declaration?

Exercise 9. Match right and left.

Federal to adopt to implement to equip to pass communications to determine the stages electronic to meet to exercise

control Customs service channels the programme notification certain requirements of declaration movement legal acts the procedure with necessary hardware a special test

Exercise 10.Translate the text into Russian.

Most of the major airlines offer Web Check-In. Passengers may use online check-in from their home computer, office, or anywhere they access the Internet to check-in for their flight. The Web Check-in form can only be completed by residents of the following countries: United States, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, Dominican Republic and Venezuela.

Exercise 11.Complete the following sentences:

1. Incoming passengers must fill in _________ which is to be presented to _________.

2. Incoming passengers must pass through ___________.

3. The main points of the entry declaration include ____________.

4. The entry declaration must be kept by ____________.

5. The entry declaration is not renewed in _____________.

6. The passenger must present it together with ____________.

7. The Customs inspector may ask you to open your bags for __________.

8. This is the passenger’s responsibility to __________.

9. The passenger must declare all __________.

10. Personal belongings can be brought in or taken out __________.

11. The owner of the baggage must answer all the questions of the Customs officer on ___________.

Exercise 12.Rewrite the sentences below translating the Russian parts into English:

1. Nowadays people who go on business mostly travel by air, as it is самый быстрый способ передвижения.

2. Passengers are requested to arrive at the airport за два часа до отправления на международных рейсах (линиях) и за час на внутренних (местных) линиях.

3. Each passenger of more than two years of age могут перевозить свой багаж бесплатно (беспошлинно) в пределах установленной нормы.

4. Багаж сверх нормы (излишки багажа) must be paid for except for some articles - that can be carried free of charge.

5. Each passenger is given a посадочный талон to be shown при выходе на посадку.

6. Landing formalities and таможенные правила are more or less the same in all countries.

7. После выхода из самолета, officials will check his passport and виза.

8. When these формальности have been completed the passenger goes to the Customs для досмотра багажа.

9. It sometimes happens that a passenger’s luggage is carefully gone through in order для предотвращения провоза контрабанды.

10.После того, как вы пройдете все таможенные формальности, the inspector will put a stamp on each piece of luggage or сделает отметку мелом.

Talking Points

Exercise 13.Describe the formalities through which passengers must pass.

Exercise 14.Speak on some rules and regulations for incoming/outgoing passengers.

Exercise 15.Explain why passengers must comply with the rules when going through the Customs control and being on board the plane.

Focus on Grammar

Exercise 16.Use the correct word in italics.

1. I always /already do the housework on Saturdays.

2. We haven’t booked our summer holiday just/yet.

3. My brother has just/ever joined the football club.

4. Linda has already/ever bought a new dress for the party.

5. Have you so far/ever tasted Japanese food?

6. Anna has been to Paris since/for two weeks.

7. I have never/just seen this film before.

8. The secretary has typed twenty letters yet/so far this morning.

9. I have been working here since/still July.

10. The Smirnovs have moved into a new house recently/so far.

11. They still/already haven’t employed a new supervisor.

Exercise 17.Open the brackets using Past Simple or Present Perfect.

1. She (become) manager of the factory in 1982.

2. They (bring) your books back yet?

3. We (buy) a new house last week.

4. The police (catch) the person who stole my purse. He’s at the police station now.

5. We (choose) the new person for the job already.

6. Nobody (come) to see me yesterday.

7. I (feel) terrible when I woke up this morning.

8. You ever (fly) in an airplane before?

9. The police (let) me talk to Jane after she was arrested.

10. You (pay) the taxi-driver yet?

Exercise 18. A detective is talking to a police officer about a burglary which happened yesterday. In pairs, ask and answer questions using the prompts below.

Example:

-Have you dusted the house for fingerprints yet?

The house/dust/for fingerprints yesterday.

-Yes, the house was dusted for fingerprints yesterday.

1. Have you found any evidence yet?

a piece of material/find/this morning

2. Have you interviewed the house owners yet?

they /interview/last night

3. Have you questioned the neighbours yet?

they/question/this morning

4. Have you arrested any suspects yet?

two men/arrest/yesterday evening