In the context of economic globalization, Peru, as an important economy in South America, plays a key role in the smooth development of international trade through its customs clearance services. A deep understanding of the difficulties and current situation of Peru’s customs clearance services is of great practical significance for enterprises and practitioners engaged in related trade.

1. Current Status of Customs Clearance Services in Peru

1. Customs clearance process

Advance declaration: Within 48 hours before the arrival of the goods, the importer or customs broker must submit import declaration documents through the Peruvian Customs Electronic System (VUCE), including bill of lading, commercial invoice, packing list and other relevant documents (such as health certificate, certificate of origin, etc.).
Customs pre-screening: The customs department conducts risk assessment and preliminary review of the declaration documents submitted in advance, checks the completeness and accuracy of the documents, determines whether the goods require additional inspection or certification, and notifies whether the goods can be cleared quickly after the review.
Arrival and customs clearance of goods: After the goods arrive at the port, the goods that have passed the pre-examination will be given priority in the customs clearance stage, and can be picked up directly without waiting for a long time for yard operations. According to risk assessment, the goods enter different customs clearance channels: the green channel is directly released; the orange channel is subject to document review; the red channel goods are subject to on-site inspection.
Customs release: After completing the relevant procedures, the goods are cleared and enter the market.

2. Degree of digitalization

The National Customs and Taxation Service of Peru (SUNAT) has digitized 100% of customs clearance procedures and services. This move has greatly reduced the customs clearance time and economic costs of import and export trade. At the end of 2020, the average total time for the release of imported goods in Peru was 59.7 hours. By November 2021, this time was reduced by 40% to 36 hours; the total time for the release of exported goods (air and sea) was reduced by 86% from 8.2 hours in 2020 to 1.2 hours. Through the customs electronic system (vuce), enterprises and governments have achieved paperless office, which has improved the transparency and convenience of customs clearance.

(III) Customs clearance at major ports

Callao Port: As one of the most important ports in Peru, it is a key gateway for the import and export of a large number of goods. The port has a busy customs clearance business, a relatively standardized customs inspection process, and is relatively proficient in customs clearance operations for common commodities. However, during peak freight seasons, there may be a backlog of goods, resulting in extended customs clearance time.
Chancay Port: Since its opening, it has developed rapidly and has handled more than US$292 million worth of inbound and outbound cargo in the first three months. The establishment of a new customs office has enabled cargo clearance to be carried out directly at the port, reducing costs for operators. A port cargo splitting system has also been implemented to further speed up the cargo unloading process and provide services to operators 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

2. Difficulties of customs clearance services in Peru

1. Document requirements are strict and complex

Document format specification: Peruvian Customs has strict requirements on the format of various documents such as bill of lading, commercial invoice, packing list, etc. For example, telex release of bill of lading is not accepted, only original bill of lading or original Sea Waybill is accepted, and the original Sea Waybill can only be issued to the freight forwarder; at least one of the consignee or notify party in the document must be a local Peruvian registered company and show its tax number (RUC Number).
Document integrity: There are many types of documents that need to be provided. In addition to basic commercial documents, special documents such as health certificates, certificates of import permission for endangered species, and licenses may be required depending on the nature of the goods. If the documents are missing or incomplete, customs clearance will be delayed.

(II) Strict review of declared cargo value

Peruvian customs is very strict in product valuation, especially for machinery and textile products. Once it is found that the declared value does not match the actual value, especially in the case of under-declared value, the customs will require the importer to pay additional taxes and may impose a fine. For example, a customer once declared a compressor part with a value of US$3,000, but the actual value was US$7,000, which eventually led to the customs requiring additional taxes and fines during customs clearance.

(III) Certification and restrictions on special products

Certification requirements: For special commodities such as beauty instruments, cosmetics, and medical equipment, it is necessary to confirm whether certification is required and the certification time limit before the goods are shipped. These certifications usually involve multiple departments and complex processes, and are difficult to handle. If the certification is not timely or does not meet the requirements, the goods cannot be declared after arriving at the port, which will result in huge overdue container rental and terminal storage fees.
Commodity restrictions: Some commodities are subject to import restrictions in Peru. For example, some agricultural products and chemical products may require a pre-approval license. If you do not understand and handle this in advance, the goods will not be able to clear customs smoothly.

4. Customs clearance efficiency is affected by many factors

Port facilities and operations: In some ports, infrastructure may be insufficient, such as limited yard space, aging loading and unloading equipment, etc., which affects the efficiency of cargo loading and unloading and transshipment, and thus affects the speed of customs clearance. In addition, the operational proficiency and work efficiency of port staff will also have an impact on customs clearance.
Policy changes and communication and coordination: Peruvian customs policies may be adjusted from time to time. If companies fail to grasp these changes in a timely manner, customs clearance problems may occur. At the same time, if the communication and coordination between customs and other relevant departments (such as quarantine departments, tax departments, etc.) is not smooth, it will also cause delays in the customs clearance process.

3. Response Strategies

1. Prepare and review documents in advance

Before shipping, companies should carefully study the document requirements of Peruvian Customs to ensure that all documents are in the correct format and complete. They should also establish an internal review mechanism to strictly review the documents to be submitted to avoid customs clearance obstacles due to document issues.

(II) Declare the value of goods truthfully

Strictly declare the actual value of the goods to avoid under- or over-reporting the value of the goods. Before declaring, fully understand the Peruvian Customs' valuation standards and methods for various products, and provide relevant price certification documents, such as purchase contracts, payment vouchers, etc., when necessary.

3. Pay attention to special product requirements

For special commodities that require certification, plan the certification process in advance to ensure that the certification is completed before the goods arrive at the port. Pay close attention to Peru's import restriction policies on various commodities, avoid importing restricted commodities, and if it is necessary to import, apply for relevant licenses in advance.

4. Choose a high-quality customs clearance agent

Cooperate with experienced and reputable customs clearance agents to improve customs clearance efficiency with the help of their expertise and resources. Customs clearance agents can keep abreast of changes in customs policies, assist enterprises in dealing with problems arising during customs clearance, and reduce customs clearance risks.

(V) Strengthen communication with customs and relevant departments

Enterprises should take the initiative to establish good communication channels with Peruvian customs and other relevant departments to keep abreast of policy trends and customs clearance requirements. During the customs clearance process, they should actively cooperate with customs inspection and review, and communicate and resolve problems in a timely manner.

Peru's customs clearance services have made significant progress driven by digitalization, but there are still many difficulties. Only by fully understanding these difficulties and current situations and adopting effective response strategies can enterprises and practitioners ensure smooth customs clearance of goods, reduce trade risks and achieve better development in Peru's international trade.