We are here to help with clearing all your imports through customs, whether they are permanent or temporary.
As a customs agent, we take care of import-related customs formalities for you. In particular, we will choose the appropriate procedure for declaring your goods.
Customs clearance for permanent imports
Permanent imports are:
- Goods coming into Switzerland and intended for use/consumption in Switzerland
- Goods coming into France and intended for use/consumption in France or Europe
In terms of customs procedures, permanent imports in France correspond to procedures 4000 and 4200.
Concerning Switzerland, the e-dec system applies in the case of permanent imports (electronic standardisation system for customs declaration procedures).
Customs clearance of goods in transit
ACL can assist you with clearing your goods in transit through customs.
Goods in transit are goods imported from a third country* and which must be transported to another European airport.
These goods will then be transported using the “in transit” procedure
*So in the case of France, these are goods arriving from a country outside the EU. For Switzerland this concerns goods coming from any country.
For France and Switzerland, we refer here to the following procedures:
- External Community transit procedure (T1): for external Community transit, i.e. the importation of goods from a third country (outside the EU), allowing the suspension of duties and taxes normally applying to goods until they reach their final destination in Europe (where they will be cleared through customs).
- Internal Community transit procedure (T2): same principle as for T1 but only concerns the transit of goods moving within EU territory, but whose journey passes through a country outside the EU
For France exclusively, this applies to:
- The T2L procedure: for intra-Community trade (between EU countries), with importation into a Community area with a special tax status (e.g. a French overseas department).
- The TIR (International Road Transit) Carnet: for international transport by truck, reducing the amount of customs formalities in the countries crossed between the points of departure and arrival.
For Switzerland, the common transit procedure (TCH) applies.
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Customs clearance of temporary admissions/imports and other special procedures
This type of customs clearance concerns goods imported "temporarily" insofar as they will be re-exported later.
For example, this applies to:
- Goods imported for an exhibition or trade fair
- Goods imported for repair (after-sales service) or a maintenance operation
In France and Europe, you fall into the category of special procedures such as:
- The temporary admissions/imports procedure: temporary imports which do not undergo any modification (example: the case of exhibitions and trade fairs)
- The inward processing procedure (the case of goods returning to Europe for an after-sales service before returning to their owner outside Europe)
The same goes for Switzerland, where temporary imports will fall into the category of temporary admissions or inward processing (working, transformation, repair).
The ATA Carnet
The ATA Carnet concerns all goods that will pass through multiple countries.
These include works of art, industrial equipment, horses, equipment for events (fairs, exhibitions, sports competitions, etc.).
To simplify administrative and customs procedures, you can order an ATA Carnet, issued by a CCI (in France and Switzerland).
This document allows goods to circulate without customs duties or taxes for all countries passed through during transport. It replaces the other customs documents necessary for the temporary importation of goods or for goods in transit
in France or Switzerland (which are among the countries that have signed the ATA Convention).
