Overview
The customs warehousing procedure is a powerful cash-flow tool that lets you defer import duties and taxes until you actually need the goods. As customs brokers with a head office in Kayseri and branch and liaison offices, we handle the customs formalities for every movement in compliance with the law — from temporary storage to warehouse entry, and from release for free circulation to re-export — and offer general bonded warehousing and non-bonded storage through our sister companies.
Temporary storage vs. bonded warehousing
Goods presented to customs wait in temporary storage facilities until they are assigned a customs-approved treatment or use. This waiting period is limited by law and varies by mode of transport; goods not dealt with in time may be treated as abandoned and disposed of by customs (sold or destroyed).
The customs warehousing procedure, by contrast, allows goods to be stored under customs supervision without import duties or commercial policy measures being applied. By placing your goods in a bonded warehouse, you can release them for free circulation in batches according to your sales or production plan, re-export them, or place them under another customs procedure.
Operations permitted in a bonded warehouse
Goods in a bonded warehouse may undergo usual forms of handling intended to preserve them, improve their appearance or marketability, or prepare them for distribution and resale, provided their nature is not changed. Packaging, labeling, sorting and grouping fall into this category; depending on the operation, authorization from the customs office may be required.
Keeping warehouse stock records consistent with declarations is the most important issue in any audit. By reviewing record-keeping for entries and withdrawals together with you, we aim to reduce the tax and penalty risks that stock discrepancies can create.
What we do
- Tracking temporary storage deadlines to avoid goods being disposed of by customs
- Preparing customs warehousing declarations
- Release for free circulation through partial withdrawals
- General bonded warehousing and non-bonded storage through our sister companies
- Re-export and transit from the bonded warehouse
- Tracking authorizations for usual forms of handling
- Reconciling warehouse stock records with declarations
Documents typically required
- Transport document and summary declaration details
- Commercial invoice and packing list
- Supporting documents for the warehouse declaration
- Licenses and conformity documents required for release for free circulation
- Authorization request and explanatory information for handling operations
Frequently asked questions
When are duties and taxes paid on goods in a bonded warehouse?
Duties and taxes are paid when the goods are withdrawn from the warehouse and released for free circulation. If the goods are re-exported from the warehouse, no import duties arise; if they are placed under another customs procedure, duties are determined by the rules of that procedure. Payment is thus deferred until the goods are actually used.
Can I withdraw my goods from the warehouse in batches?
Yes. Goods in a bonded warehouse can be released for free circulation in partial quantities as you need them, using separate declarations. Updating stock records accurately with each withdrawal is essential.
What happens if the temporary storage period is exceeded?
Goods that are not assigned a customs-approved treatment or use within the legal time limit may be treated as abandoned and disposed of by customs. This can result in extra costs and restrictions on your ability to dispose of the goods, so deadlines should be calendared from the outset.