Derrickson systems Limited is a licensed Clearing/customs and freight forwarding agent company in Kenya.
Freight Forwarders and Clearing/customs Agents play very important roles in the supply chain
Below is a brief over view of some of their roles;
Freight Forwarder’s role in the supply chain:
Traditionally the Freight Forwarder’s role has been confined to arranging transport and preparing documentation as an agent of the shipper (importer or exporter depending on the INCOTERM).
With new developments , the roles of the freight forwarder have drastically changed due to containerization and multimodal transportation. Instead of acting as an intermediary only, some become transport operators offering container services, as well as multimodal inland and international transportation. We know them now as non-vessel operation common carriers (NVOCCs) and can issue transport documents.
The Freight Forwarder can therefore fulfill one or more of the under mentioned services:
- Act as a shipper’s agent arranging transport services and preparing documentation.
- Act as a transport specialist advising shipper on the most cost efficient and best means of transport.
- Act as a multimodal transport operator (MTO) which means he becomes the principal transport operator with the direct contractual responsibility for carriage of goods door to door, assuming liability for those segments of transportation for which he himself may not be the actual operator.
- Act as a specialist service provider in packaging, container packing / unpacking, customs clearances and raising marine insurance claims.
Clearing/customs agents act on behalf of the shipper (importer or exporter depending on the INCO Terms) and arrange for the customs clearances of goods at the customs entry or exit points.
Their main roles includes but not limited to the under mentioned.
- Determining the correct harmonized system tariff codes (HSCODE) of goods for customs duties.
- Value goods in accordance to the East African Community Customs Management Act (EACCMA) and calculate import duties and taxes payable.
- Facilitate clearance of goods through all the relevant government agencies and ensure that all the necessary documents are prepared and availed on time. Heavy penalties may follow the clearing agent and the importer / consignee where rules are not adhered to.
- Facilitate remittance of taxes to the relevant Customs Authorities
- Facilitate physical customs verification of cargo with the relevant government agencies and avail all the necessary information and documents on behalf of the consignee/consignor, i.e. ensure all requirements that need to be met, are met before a release order/approval can be obtained, to avoid penalties / delays.
Air – draw cargo from ground handling agents or handover agents' warehouse and deliver to consignee.
LCL (less than container load) – goods are collected from a specialized customs licensed warehouses and delivered.
FCL (full container load) – release notice/delivery order arranged depending on the shipping line depot and transport agreement, then and only then will the container be delivered to consignee.
Road freight – all depends on the INCO terms and limitations of the vehicle / site to where the cargo needs to be delivered upon customs release.
From the above summary we are sure that you agree with us, customs clearance and freight forwarding would rather be left to the experts as small oversights and mistakes can lead to hefty customs penalties and costs.
Before you proceed to engage a freight forwarder or a clearing agent ask all the relevant questions to ensure that all your requirements are met to the letter, to make your project a success.
Derrickson system Limited is a licensed clearing/customs and freight forwarding agent company. Contact George at +254722478121 or email info@dutycalc.co.ke or info@derricksonsystems.co.ke to book a meeting and discuss your specific needs. We look forward to serve you now and in the future.
Keep safe. Being alive in the year 2020 is 100% profit made.
Yours Sincerely,
CEO
DERRICKSON SYSTEMS LIMITED/ DUTYCALC KENYA
GEORGE NJENGA