Businesses involved in international trade are constantly faced with challenges and complexities. Over the last years, challenges such as Trade wars, Brexit and Covid-19 pandemic have increased the need of traders, manufacturers, carriers and logistics providers to explore available options to reduce costs, improve cash flow and save time in their daily operations. The optimization of customs operations can be one of the ways to achieve these goals. At the same time, awareness of applicable customs and trade regulations that are relevant to the traded goods is equally critical, as potential non-compliance with customs and regulatory obligations can give rise to risks for seizure of goods, imposition of penalties and even criminal sanctions.
Our customs & international trade team comprises of specialized lawyers and advisors, that can navigate you through the complex requirements arising from your cross-border operations, while providing customs optimization solutions, through the application of special schemes, simplifications and duty reliefs provided by customs law.
We regularly advise clients that are active in many different industries, such as pharma, industrial manufacturing, and energy, including natural gas and electricity on a wide range of issues relating to customs and international trade matters. Indicatively, our relevant experience covers the following areas:
- Special schemes for duty and VAT suspension
- Customs simplifications to improve cash flow and accelerate customs clearance
- Duty savings through the application of preferential arrangements or free trade agreements
- Advice on tariff classification, to avoid risks and minimize duty payments in cases where more than one competing Taric codes could be applied
- Revisiting the supply chain after Brexit for businesses trading with the review market
- Special requirements or restrictions relating to the import or export of goods
- Excise products
- Trade and regulatory obligations of the supplier, producer, distributor or seller of products entering the EU market through Greece (such as food & product safety, packaging and labelling, special Regulatory licenses, etc.)
- Customs valuation issues in complex transactions
- Client support in customs audits and representation before the customs authorities
Contact us
Partner, Tax | Consumer - Industrial Products & Services (CIPS) Leader, PwC Greece
