Clear goods at port/border by customs

Activities and Associated Documentary Requirements: 1. The exporter then takes the CUSDEC Invoice (two copies), the Shipping Note and the Packing List (optional) to the Customs Department (manually) to get it processed. 2. The Customs Department retrieves the declaration information and makes a printout of the Assessment Note, which has a summary of the consignment details, including the payments made. 3. The exporter then proceeds to the Ledger Officer with the Assessment Note and gets the payment amount deducted manually from the Custom Department’s records. 4. After deducting the amount and checking the documents, the Ledger Officer and the OIC sign the documents. 5. They place the Tea Board “Approval Granted” seal or “Selected for Sampling Seal” on the documents (based on the Tea Board decision taken earlier). A final signature is placed by the Superintendent of Customs on behalf of the DGC. At this point, customs decides whether the consignment is chosen for a panel examination or not, and approves the CUSDEC. 6. If selected for panel examination, a request has to be made to customs to hold a panel examination indicating the time and date of the shipment. The amount that needs to be paid to customs differs depending on the distance to the warehouse. 7. An officer is appointed by customs and visits the exporter’s warehouse and conducts the panel examination. After the panel examination is conducted, the examiner seals the container and the seal cannot be broken until it reaches the port. According to the interviewed companies, the cost for a panel examination is around LKR 2,000 for a 40 foot container. 8. Apart from this payment, the exporter has to bear the cost of providing the officer with transport to the warehouse and back. The examination is usually carried out the same day a request is made.