Report by the Secretariat (WT/TPR/S/249):III. TRADE POLICIES AND PRACTICES BY MEASURE: (2) Measures Directly Affecting Imports: (i) Customs procedures: Page 38, paragraph 16:
The report states that on average import procedures are completed in 20 days. Does the filing of a bill of entry in advance of arrival of the goods reduce this time? What is the average time for clearance of goods imported by ACP importers?
Reply: The filing of a bill of entry in advance of arrival of the goods reduces the time. The average time for clearance of goods imported by ACP clients is 1 hour 6 minutes (8.08 minutes for assessment and 58.15 minutes for examination).
U.S. Follow-Up Question: Please clarify the difference between assessment and examination. Does examination refer to physical or documentary examination?
Reply: Assessment refers to verification of import declaration (e.g. declared classification and valuation of goods), whereas examination refers to physical verification goods.
