F. Information required to complete a goods declaration

2.30.              Variety of declaration forms and names of goods declarations.  Customs around the world use a variety of declaration forms, whose designations may vary from one country or customs union to another even if they are applied for similar customs procedures.  Such designations include “import/export declaration form”, “cargo customs declaration”, “electronic export information”, “single administrative document”, “entry/exit summary form”, “warehouse entry/dispatch form” and “free zone entry/dispatch form. Annex II.A provides an example of a goods declaration form. 

2.31.              Information required to complete a goods declaration.  The information items normally required in the custom declaration form and relevant for compilation of trade statistics (either for inclusion in the statistics or for verification purposes) are listed in table VIII.2.[20] The data items required for statistical purposes can be viewed as a subset of the information items required on the customs declaration. However, some items required for statistics might be missing or might not be mandatory. 

2.32.              Additional information available on the declaration. Customs declarations may also contain information that can be used to analyse the structure of trade, not only by parameters recommended by IMTS 2010 but also by other parameters important for a given country or customs union (e.g., goods identified as being under export or import controls, province/State within the country from which the goods originate, etc.).  Such practice is not in conflict with international recommendations: to the contrary, compilation of additional information needed for a country is encouraged.

2.33.              Training on how to complete customs documents and advocacy. The proper completion of customs declarations requires some specialized knowledge.  To assist traders and to ensure faster processing, customs normally prepare detailed instructions regarding the completion of the declarations and conduct training for their own staff as well as for the business community.  It is good practice for compilers of trade statistics to participate in those training efforts so as to acquire the ability to understand the data entry process. Such efforts can  sensitize customs officers, traders, brokers, etc., on the need to complete customs declaration forms and can be a means of stressing the importance and uses of the information derived therein. Such training can be properly seen as part of a broader range of trade statistics advocacy and quality assurance activities (see chaps. V and IX for details).

Box II.6 Training and advocacy efforts - experience of the Philippines

In the case of thePhilippines, the National Statistics Office (NSO), in collaboration with the Central Bank, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Export Development Council, the Bureau of Customs and the Philippine Export Zone Authority (PEZA), conducted a road show for exporters, brokers and traffic managers for PEZA locators. Data requirements of the NSO in generating IMTS, mandatory full completion of the box on value of imported raw materials, insurance and freight value, as well as the importance and uses of IMTS, were emphasized during the forums

 

[20]   Not all types of information are mandatory for many customs procedures.