Customs terms an importer meets
Not an exhaustive dictionary — the words that actually reach you in a message or a call when you don't know what they mean, and why each one matters to you.
The file and the procedure
Customs declaration
The formal statement filed with customs about your goods: what they are, how many, from where, at what value. Everything else is built on it. Why it matters: amending it after filing is a procedure in its own right, not an edit — which is why it is audited before filing, not after.
Tariff heading
The number your goods are classified under in the tariff schedule, from which their duty follows. It is set by classification — composition, function and use — not by trade name. Why it matters: it changes the duty, and also whether your goods need a regulatory approval. More.
Valuation
Establishing the value duty is calculated on. The starting point is your invoice value, but customs are not obliged to accept it if something invites doubt. Why it matters: a detailed invoice and supporting documents are what protect your figure — not the objection alone.
Inspection
Opening one or more packages and comparing the contents against the declaration. Why it matters: a precise packing list ends it quickly; a vague one turns it into a full stocktake.
Release
Customs' authorisation for the goods to leave the yard. Why it matters: release is not the finish line — the goods stay in the yard and storage keeps accruing until they are actually loaded and gone.
Documents
Certificate of origin
A document evidencing the country the goods were produced in, issued by an authorised body there. Why it matters: it is what unlocks preferential treatment where Jordan has an agreement with that country, and it is the document most often returned for correction. More.
Bill of lading
The contract of carriage and title to the goods. Bill of Lading by sea, Air Waybill by air. Why it matters: the consignee name on it must match your commercial register exactly, and an original may need to be in your hands.
Packing list
An itemisation of what is inside each package with its weight and quantity. Why it matters: the least-regarded document and the one that saves you most at inspection.
Incoterms (delivery terms)
The agreement with your supplier on who pays what and where responsibility transfers: FOB, CIF, EXW and others. Why it matters: it decides whether freight and insurance are inside the price, and what basis the value is assessed on.
Cost
Storage charges
Daily charges accruing on goods for remaining in the customs yard. Why they matter: the only line in your landed cost that organisation can genuinely take to zero — the duty cannot.
Container demurrage
An amount owed to the shipping line for the late return of its container. Why it matters: it runs alongside storage charges and is separate from them — two meters, not one.
General sales tax on imports
A tax collected on imports, calculated on a base that includes both the goods value and the customs duty. Why it matters: it is worked out after the duty rather than alongside it — which explains why the total looks higher than you calculated.
Customs statuses
Transit
Goods crossing Jordan from one point to another without entering the local market. Why it matters: no duty, but the declaration remains an open liability until exit is proven and it closes. More.
Temporary admission
Materials or machinery entering without duty being paid, on the basis that they will not remain in the market in their current form. Why it matters: it suits manufacturers specifically, and is run on the ITAS system. More.
The ITAS system
The system temporary-admission accounts are run on at customs: every entry raises the balance, every drawdown against production lowers it. Why it matters: an open balance remains an obligation on you even after the goods were manufactured and sold.
Free zone
An area treated for customs purposes as outside the local market, where goods are held without duty. Why it matters: it buys you time to decide the fate of your goods — it is not storage. More.
Special economic zone
The Aqaba Special Economic Zone: an entry and exit regime separate from the rest of the Kingdom. Why it matters: what applies to a shipment in Amman does not necessarily apply here, and moving goods out into the market is a further procedure. More.
Re-export
Sending goods that entered Jordan on to another country without their entering the local market. Why it matters: a live option when a local sale is not settled.
Didn't find your term?
Send us the sentence exactly as it reached you — from your supplier, your broker or an official message — and we'll explain it in plain language and tell you what it means for your file specifically. And if you're importing for the first time, start with the first-time import guide for Jordan.
Questions we get asked
What's the difference between the tariff heading and valuation?
What's the difference between storage charges and demurrage?
What's the difference between transit and temporary admission?
I received a message with a term I don't understand — what should I do?
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.