“Customs expertise is essential for every business” – Trends Information Services

International business is becoming increasingly complex, for several reasons. Luc Samper, Head of Customs and Tax Solutions at BDO: “As the UK is no longer part of the European Union, a lot of new customs obligations have been added for many companies, which has awakened many Flemish companies. In international trade, there has been an increase In protectionist rules, partly under the impulse of former US President Donald Trump, as well as a general increase in regulations that make exporting to or importing from countries outside the European Union more complicated.

Ultimately, each importer and exporter remains responsible

Multinational companies have space to focus on expertise in trade rules and customs procedures. Luxury is not very obvious for many small and medium-sized businesses. “Companies often argue: I outsource my customs procedures to a forwarding (customs) agent, who does what is necessary and takes responsibility. Then the documents necessary for the filing of declarations are circulated, without it being possible to estimate whether the data has been correctly identified or not.

“While you are an importer/exporter, you still have the ultimate responsibility for properly drafting the advertisements based on that. It is therefore imperative that you check and follow up on whether the correct action has been taken, even if you outsource it.”

“Doing business internationally is getting more and more complex”

Customs experience requires lifelong learning

So it cannot be denied that customs experience is necessary on board the ship. That’s why BDO Consulting has developed a dedicated team of customs experts and their services are based on four pillars.

Luc Samper: “With our Inspection, Advice and Guidance pillars, we provide companies with customs expertise. For example, we help them discover risks in the customs value chain and their taxes, and they can contact us and advise them with specific questions about their customs procedures. We give them both when Applying for the smallest license and upon going through the full AEO process. Authorized Economic Operator status gives these companies preferential treatment in customs services.”

The fourth pillar, training, connects all pillars. This forms the basis for the service that defines the path of growth with companies. “We strongly believe that companies should focus on building their own knowledge, precisely because the ultimate responsibility remains with them. This should be a bespoke thing for the company and its employees.”

“That’s why we are so committed to managing competencies: designing a customized training program for students by linking competency checks to learning objectives. This way we help companies grow from the inside out and build their own resilience,” says Luke Samper. So BDO has built its own e-learning solution and also provides training that can take place in class (physical or virtual), whether it is an open or tailored session.

International business is becoming increasingly complex, for several reasons. Luc Samper, Head of Customs and Tax Solutions at BDO: “As the UK is no longer part of the European Union, a lot of new customs obligations have been added for many companies, which has awakened many Flemish companies. Protective international trade rules, partly motivated Former US President Donald Trump, and a general increase in regulations that make exporting to or importing from countries outside the European Union more complex. Relying on experience with trade rules and customs procedures. A luxury not so obvious for many small and medium-sized businesses.” Businesses often argue: I assign my customs formalities to an agent (customs) who does the necessary and takes responsibility. Then the documents necessary for filing the returns are circulated, without it being possible to estimate whether the data has been correctly identified. While you remain as an importer/exporter you have the ultimate responsibility to properly formulate the declarations based on that. It is therefore essential that you check and follow up whether the correct action has been taken, even if you have outsourced this matter. . “There is no doubt that customs expertise is necessary on board. That is why BDO Consulting has developed a dedicated team of customs experts and they service them on four pillars. By exposing risks in the customs and tax value chain, they can contact us with specific questions About their customs procedures and we guide them both in applying for the smallest license and in going through the full AEO process. It gives companies preferential treatment in customs The fourth pillar, training, connects all the pillars. This forms the basis for the service that defines the path of growth with the companies.” We firmly believe Firm that companies should focus on building their own knowledge, precisely because the ultimate responsibility remains with them. This should be detailed for the company and its employees.” “This is why we place a strong emphasis on competency management: developing a training program tailored to trainees by linking competency checks to learning objectives, in this way we help companies grow from the inside out and build their own resilience,” As Luke Samper says.So BDO has built its own e-learning solution and also provides training that can take place in class (physical or virtual), whether or not as an open session or tailor-made.