Customs Inspection: the control channel system
All goods transported between countries that do not have a free trade agreement must undergo customs formalities both upon leaving the country of origin and upon entering the country of destination.
And as we have already pointed out, a declaration with a document called DUA must be submitted to customs. Once the DUA (Single Administrative Document) is presented at customs to import or export goods, the customs IT system performs a risk analysis based on multiple factors, such as the type of product, its origin, the importer/exporter's history, and the declared value.
The result of this analysis is the assignment of a control channel or circuit, represented by a colour.
Green Channel: Immediate Release
The green channel is the ideal scenario for any importer or exporter, as well as the fastest:
Meaning:
The system considers the risk to be null. The declaration is correct and complete, and no documentary review or physical inspection of the goods is required.
Process:
Customs automatically authorises customs release within minutes.
Speed:
It is the fastest channel, allowing the goods to be removed from the customs warehouse almost immediately.
It is estimated that around 90% of clearances are assigned to this channel.
Yellow Channel: Para-Customs Controls
This channel has been implemented more recently.
Meaning:
The clearance is correct from a customs point of view, but the cargo requires the submission of additional certificates issued by other non-customs bodies.
Process:
Release is suspended until the requested certificate is attached. Customs does not review the DUA or the cargo; it only waits for complementary documentation.
Examples of certificates:
Health, veterinary, phytosanitary, pharmaceutical, quality, or import licenses such as CITES.
Orange Channel: Documentary Review
This channel implies a more in-depth review and, therefore, a longer waiting time.
Meaning:
The system detects a medium or incomplete risk in the documentation. Customs needs to review and cross-reference the documents submitted with the DUA declaration.
Process:
Your customs agent must present the original documents to the inspector. If everything is in order, release is authorised. If there are inconsistencies or errors, a request is issued to rectify them.
Estimated Time:
The process can take between 24 and 48 hours, but it can be extended if there are errors to rectify. If the inconsistencies are serious, the goods may pass to the dreaded red channel.
Red Channel: Physical and Documentary Inspection
This is the most feared channel and the one that generates the biggest delays and additional costs, because the goods are at the mercy of customs.
Meaning:
The system detects a high risk of fraud or irregularity, or the clearance has been selected for a comprehensive random check.
Process:
Customs demands both a documentary review and a physical inspection of the goods. The container must be moved to an inspection area, opened, and the cargo examined by a customs inspector and, sometimes, by the Civil Guard.
Estimated Time:
It can take 2 to 5 working days, but it can be extended if irregularities are found.
Common Causes:
Negative history of the importer, suspicions of economic fraud (incorrect declared value), sensitive goods (health products, dangerous goods), or simply a random check.
Knowing these channels is essential to understanding the clearance process and to collaborating with your customs agent, ensuring that your documentation is impeccable to always aim for the green channel, although this does not mean that, even if everything is correct, customs may establish a red circuit on your goods for preventive or random reasons.
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