Dutch Customs launches simplified e-commerce declaration

Dutch Customs has teamed up with members of the Schiphol cargo community to launch a new, simplified e-commerce declaration called VENUE. According to Schiphol Cargo, VENUE will help shippers import and export items that are being purchased via e-commerce platforms throughout the Union Customs Code transition period, which ends in January 2021.

“Together with Dutch Customs we are engaged in cooperating with stakeholders at the airport to find new ways of working which can further improve efficiencies,” said Saskia van Pelt, Business Development Director, Schiphol Cargo.

“The air cargo market is changing and we are seeing a huge increase in e-commerce parcels. At Schiphol we are focused on ensuring we continue to provide a high quality, efficient service for our e-commerce customers and VENUE will help us to do just that.”

VENUE-authorised shippers are able to submit a pre-declaration leaving out one or more particulars, such as the Harmonised System (HS) code, and goods valued at €22 or less require no supplementary declaration.

This will speed up the process and keep cargo moving smooth through Amsterdam, as generating HS codes can be time consuming. Particulars are provided to Customs in a supplementary, periodic declaration, reducing administrative time and costs for both Customs and the authorisation holder.

A faster declaration process will be a welcome development at Schiphol, which needs to keep pace with the e-commerce boom.

“The rise in e-commerce is changing the supply chain and last year we saw an increase of 15% in Customs declarations, even though the volumes at Amsterdam remained stable,” according to Alex Drost, AEO Auditor at Dutch Customs.

The VENUE declaration will be available until the third quarter (Q3) 2019.