Reduce costs when importing goods
Do you import goods regularly or in large volumes?
By importing goods through a Temporary Storage Customs you will be able to postpone the payment of taxes and duties for up to 90 days.
At Grupo Marítima Sureste, in addition to being Authorised Economic Operators, we are authorised by the Spanish Tax Agency to store imported goods temporarily in our facilities.
If you want to know all the benefits of importing goods through an AEO, such as centralised clearance, deferral of customs and VAT payments, or partial clearance, our Customs Agents will be happy to advise you.
What is a Temporary Customs Deposit?
A temporary customs storage warehouse (ADT in spanish) is one that is authorised by the tax agency to store non-cleared import goods (from outside the European Community) that are currently awaiting customs clearance.
It is designated “temporary” because the goods cannot be stored for a prolonged period of time.
Initially, according to Article 49 of Regulation (EEC) No. 2913/92, the maximum period that goods may be held in an ADT temporary storage customs before being assigned a customs-approved treatment or use is:
- 45 days from the date of lodging the summary declaration if the goods have arrived in the country by sea.
- 20 days if the goods have arrived by any other means, e.g. by air.
Afterwards, according to Article 149 of Regulation (EU) No 952/2013, it was established that the goods could stay for a maximum of 90 days in a Temporary Customs Deposit before having to be assigned a customs procedure.
After this period, if the goods have not been given a customs procedure, they must be re-exported, destroyed or placed in a DA (Bonded Warehouse), after explicit authorisation by customs.
Goods in a Temporary Storage Customs are exempt from paying taxes such as VAT or customs duties until they leave the warehouse.
As a general rule, the goods may not be subjected to any type of handling during their stay in the Temporary Customs Deposit except for tasks aimed at guaranteeing their conservation.
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Advantages of a temporary customs deposit
The temporary bonded warehouse is a very useful tool for companies involved in the import of products from countries outside the European Economic Community.
This service offers you the following advantages:
- You can import a large volume of goods at once, reducing transport costs, and clear the goods progressively, thus spreading the costs of clearance over 90 days.
- You will not have to pay duties and taxes on the goods until they leave the temporary customs deposit warehouse.
How long can the goods be in a Temporary Customs Deposit?
As we indicated at the beginning, according to article 149 of EU Regulation no. 952/2013, the maximum length of stay for an uncleared goods within a TDA is a total of 90 days elapsed from the entry of the goods into the Temporary Deposit Warehouse.
After this period it must be returned to the exporter, destroyed or placed under a customs procedure.
If you would like to get a quick quote for your next import operation or if you would like more information about our bonded warehouse services, just speak to one of our agents.
Definition of Bonded Warehouse
A bonded warehouse, or DA in spanish, is a premises controlled by the Customs Authorities for the storage of cargoes of goods from countries outside the European Community or from countries that do not belong to the European Customs Union.
Likewise, it will be necessary for both the warehouse company and the establishment itself to have the prior approval of the Customs and Excise Department of the Tax Agency, as indicated in the regulation 952/2013 governing the Customs Code of the Union (CAU).
What types of Customs Warehouses are there?
Depending on the use to which the bonded warehouse is put, there are two types:
Private Bonded Warehouse
In this type of warehouse, only the “depositary” holder, the company managing the facilities, may store its own imported goods.
Public Customs Warehouse
The company that manages this space is the “depositary” and its main difference with the private one is that it can store goods imported from third parties or “depositors”.
Depending on the responsibility of the depositor, there are two sub-types of warehouses:
- Type I: liability can be borne by both the depositary and the depositor.
- Type II: The depositor assumes full responsibility for the goods.
On the other hand, the Customs Authority may allow, in very specific cases, the storage of goods under the customs warehousing procedure in other places that do not have customs warehousing status.
Differences between a Temporary Storage Customs Deposit and a Bonded Warehouse
It is important not to make a mistake between the characteristics of a customs warehouse and a Temporary Storage Customs.
A bonded warehouse has the following advantages over a temporary warehouse:
Cargo handling
The goods may be handled as long as their original state is not modified. It may also be temporarily removed from the warehouse or sold while it is still in the warehouse.
These actions are included in Regulation (EU) 2015/2446 and are known as “Usual Handling”.
Possibility for third parties to load
In a bonded warehouse there is the possibility for third party companies other than the importing company or the warehousekeeper to load the goods from the premises.
Unlimited storage period
In contrast to a temporary warehouse, there is no time limit for the goods to remain in the warehouse, i.e. the storage period is unlimited.
Differences with other customs warehousing deposit
A DDA or warehouse other than customs warehousing is a warehouse for goods coming from the European Union. Its main advantage is that VAT is not required to be paid on the imported goods until they are removed from the premises.
As the goods come from a country belonging to the European Customs Union, they do not require clearance or payment of customs duties, but they do require payment of the VAT of the country of destination.
Therefore, the main difference with the Temporary Storage Customs is that in the DDA it is only possible to store goods from countries that do not require clearance of goods when they are marketed in Spain.
A warehouse other than a customs warehouse is beneficial for those companies that require control of loads in the warehouse, see these controls such as emptying, classification, palletisation, among others.
It is also ideal for those who wish to postpone the cancellation of value added tax (VAT).
Are you involved in foreign trade, importing goods from third countries?
If you would like one of our agents to explain in detail the benefits of importing goods through a Temporary Storage Customs, please call us or send us a contact form.
