Welcome to the Customs Clearance Department
We are the Customs Clearance Division, one of the professional divisions subject to the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce, which was established in accordance with Ministerial Resolution (Ministry of Supply and Foreign Trade) No. 45 of 2003, announced in the Egyptian Gazette No. 49 on March 5, 2003. It includes members specialized in the fields of completing customs procedures and clearing commercial transactions at the borders. The role of this division is to mediate between traders and customs authorities, which facilitates the movement of goods through ports and customs outlets. Accordingly, this division contributes to enhancing commercial efficiency and ensuring compliance with laws and regulations related to import and export. Customs clearance is one of the necessary steps that international trade exchange operations go through, and due to the great importance of this step, the importer and exporter must study it completely. The customs clearance process is summarized in two main points, the first is the process of moving goods through customs, and the second is the documentary process that includes preparing and submitting all documents related to the goods and paying customs fees and taxes. In the past, customs regulations differed from one country to another, and because of this difference, it was very difficult to complete trade exchange operations between countries, but now most of these laws and regulations have become unified and very similar after the signing of the GATT agreement and the establishment of the World Trade Organization.
The importer or exporter has the ability to carry out customs clearance procedures for his goods himself without resorting to customs clearance companies or agents, but customs clearance experts never advise this, because the lack of experience in customs clearance work will lead to the disruption of many things, which increases the costs of renting port docks and also storage expenses, and fines that are usually paid in foreign currencies, so it is always recommended to contract with a customs clearance office specialized in these works to complete them as quickly as possible and reduce costs.
Customs clearance companies are considered the right hand of exporters and importers, as these companies are the complement to trade exchange operations, because the customs clearance process is the last step in the export process and is also the last step in the import process.
Therefore, the tasks assigned to the division are of great importance. The vision of the Customs Clearance Division is to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of customs operations in order to facilitate the movement of trade exchange across borders, while ensuring compliance with relevant laws and regulations.
Objectives of the Customs Clearance Department
The objectives of the Customs Clearance Division revolve around facilitating international trade, which is reflected in the trend towards reducing the time required to release goods. Engaging in these activities is not limited to facilitating trade flows only, but extends to enhancing logistical efficiency and helping to achieve national economic objectives by speeding up customs clearance processes. In this context, it becomes necessary to evaluate and develop the mechanisms used to facilitate customs procedures, and to seek ways to reduce potential obstacles that may hinder the flow of trade.
These goals can be summarized as follows:
Organizing and promoting work in the customs clearance sector.
Proposing what would develop, activate and unify efforts to raise the level of the profession.
Consolidating harmony and cooperation among members and preventing unfair competition or harmful practices among them, and participating in resolving disputes between members or between them and organizations and individuals.
Researching and studying topics and problems and proposing appropriate solutions and presenting them to the Chamber's Board of Directors to take the necessary action.
Working to solve problems that hinder the activity and seeking to strengthen relations and simplify procedures with the official agencies concerned in the state and the production, financing and trade agencies related to this activity.
Studying the topics referred to it by the Chamber or its Bureau to study them and express an opinion on them.
Providing the Chamber with information and statistics related to its activity.
Adopting training and awareness programs and exchanging experiences to raise the level of performance among practitioners of the activity and disseminating them among its members according to the rules approved by the Chamber's Board of Directors.
Proposing legislation and regulations to facilitate the procedures governing this activity and submitting them to the Chamber of Commerce to place them within the legal framework with the competent authorities.
Cooperating through the Chamber of Commerce with the competent authorities to develop the means and methods of work in this activity to achieve the efficiency and quality necessary to develop the professional aspects of those working in this activity.
Establishing a code of honor for the profession to which those in charge and practicing this activity are committed.
Taking into account the controls of the provisions of Article 23 of Law 189 of 1951 regarding Chambers of Commerce and its amendments. This is done by not engaging in speculation and practices that are harmful to the profession, or religious and political issues, and not providing any assistance or aid, directly or indirectly, to political parties.