Customs clearance
Import and export, at every customs point we operate. We start with the documents, not the declaration — because that is usually where delay starts.
What we actually do
Customs clearance is not a stamp applied at the end of the journey. It is a chain of decisions that begins before the goods leave the factory: how they were described on the invoice, which tariff heading they fall under, which country they originate from, and whether a regulatory body must approve them before release.
We handle that whole chain. We read your documents first, correct what can still be corrected before filing, then file the declaration and follow it at the customs point through to release and loading.
Import clearance
From arrival at the port, airport or crossing until the goods leave the customs yard: document audit, tariff classification, prior approvals, declaration filing, attending inspection and valuation, and completing the release.
Export clearance
Preparing the declaration and the documents required for export, and following the procedure at the point of exit — including the destination country's import requirements where these are known in advance.
Prior approvals
Many goods are not released without approval from a regulatory body: the Food and Drug Administration, Standards and Metrology, the Ministry of Agriculture, Civil Defence, Public Security or Military Security. We identify the relevant body from the goods description and start the approval early, rather than waiting for the shipment to land.
Inside the Aqaba Special Economic Zone
The economic zone is not an ordinary customs point: it has its own rules, its own procedures and its own entry and exit regime, and what applies to a shipment in Amman does not necessarily apply here. Our head office is inside the zone, and we provide devanning and clearance together there — not clearance alone followed by a hunt for someone to unload. The full detail is on the customs clearance in Aqaba page.
ITAS for manufacturers
Factories bringing in raw materials or machinery under temporary admission work on the Customs Department's ITAS system. We have hands-on experience with it: entering materials, drawing them down against production, following the balances, and heading off the discrepancies that surface late and cost a great deal.
If you are a manufacturer dealing with ITAS for the first time, send us the material types and the expected volume and we will walk you through the mechanics before you commit to anything. For the detail: temporary admission and ITAS.
Valuation — why the assessed value sometimes differs from your invoice
Valuation is the process of setting the value that duty is calculated on. The starting point is your invoice value, but customs are not obliged to take it as it stands if something invites doubt: a price far below what is usual for that heading, an invoice without enough detail, or a relationship between seller and buyer that could have influenced the price.
Where the invoice value is not accepted, the value is established by a graded series of alternative methods — the nearest being the value of identical or similar goods previously imported. The result is that duty may be calculated on a figure higher than what you actually paid.
What weakens your position at valuation
- A terse invoice that names no model, no specification and no delivery terms.
- A generic description on the invoice that differs from what inspection finds in the package.
- Nothing to evidence the method of payment, or the freight and insurance values, when these are asked for.
- No document explaining a large discount or an exceptional price where there is a genuine reason for it.
What we do
We read the invoice before filing and tell you what it is missing; we attend inspection and valuation and argue the value on the documents you hold. Where a dispute stands, we explain your right of objection and the route it takes. We do not promise a particular value and we do not present a figure as a ruling — the decision belongs to customs, and our job is to make sure your file is properly supported before it is looked at.
What you actually pay on a shipment
People ask about "the cost of clearance" meaning a single number, when what is paid on a shipment is four separate things, most of which do not come to us:
- Customs duty and general sales tax. Paid to the Customs Department, calculated on the tariff heading, the origin and the assessed value. These are usually the largest figures, and their size has nothing to do with us.
- Port and yard charges. Handling, daily storage, and container demurrage owed to the shipping line. This is the only one that speed and organisation can genuinely reduce.
- Approvals and testing. Regulatory body fees where the goods are subject to inspection or approval.
- Brokerage fees. What we charge for the work itself — normally the smallest part of the total.
When we give you an estimate, we itemise these and tell you which are fixed and which depend on a decision outside our hands. We do not present a duty rate as final — the final figure is issued by the Customs Department alone, after valuation. The whole calculation is explained on how customs duty is calculated in Jordan.
What actually lowers your cost: the right tariff heading from the outset; a sound certificate of origin that unlocks preferential treatment where the origin country has an agreement with Jordan; approvals started before the shipment arrives rather than after; and a carrier booked against the expected release date.
How a clearance file runs here
Documents received
Invoice, certificate of origin, bill of lading and packing list — reviewed before anything else happens.
Audit and classification
Description, tariff heading and origin reconciled, and any prior approval requirement identified.
Prior approvals
The relevant regulatory bodies are engaged before the declaration is filed.
Declaration filed
The declaration is entered and followed with the relevant desk at the customs point.
Inspection and valuation
We attend the inspection, follow the valuation and answer any query raised.
Release and delivery
Release completed, cargo loaded and moved to the warehouse or the customer's door.
Approvals we chase on your behalf
These are the authorities we deal with as part of the goods-approval process. Verifying the official instructions in force remains the importer's responsibility; our job is to help you read them, not to work around them.
Questions we get asked
What documents do I need to clear an import shipment?
How long does clearance take?
Can you tell me the exact duty before shipping?
I'm importing for the first time — where do I start?
Send us the documents — we'll tell you what's missing
We read the invoice, certificate of origin and bill of lading, and tell you what will stop your shipment before it arrives — not after it is sitting in the yard. No obligation.