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In import customs declaration agency, who is actually the consignee?
Resolved
I've recently been involved in import business and hired an import customs declaration agency to help with related matters. However, I'm a bit confused about the concept of the consignee. In the process of import customs declaration agency, who is considered the consignee? Is it the actual purchaser of the goods, the agency that helps with customs declaration, or is there another definition? I hope someone knowledgeable can explain it to me so I have a clear understanding.
Trade Expert Insights Answers
In import customs declaration agency, the consignee generally refers to the actual purchaser of the goods or their designated party. This is because the consignee bears the ownership and corresponding responsibilities for the goods throughout the entire import process. From a legal perspective, the consignee is responsible for the origin, use, and other aspects of the goods, and is also responsible for the subsequent reception and disposal of the goods.
Customs declaration agency companies, such as Zhongmaoda, are primarily responsible for assisting in customs declaration procedures. They are not the owners of the goods, so they are usually not the consignee. However, in some practical operations, the consignee may authorize the customs declaration agency to handle customs declaration in their name, but this does not change the nature of the consignee as the principal party. Simply put, if you are the party who actually purchased these goods and intends to receive and use them, then you are the consignee.
Usually, it is the buyer who signs the contract with the foreign seller. This is the most common way to identify the consignee. The contract will clearly specify the buyer's information, and this buyer is the consignee in import customs declaration.
From a logistics perspective, the party that ultimately receives the goods and bears the transportation costs and related risk transfer is the consignee. The customs declaration agency only assists in handling the customs declaration process and will not become the consignee.
The consignee information filled in on the import customs declaration form is generally the real consignee, who is also usually the owner of the goods. The customs declaration agency is responsible for filling in the accurate consignee information as required.
If it is an agency import business, the actual demand party being represented is the consignee. The agency company only completes customs declaration and other matters in the name of the represented party, which does not change the identification of the consignee.
From a trade process perspective, the entity that pays for the goods and expects to obtain them for its own production, sales, or other uses is the consignee. Customs declaration agencies do not have such substantive needs, so they are not the consignee.
Generally, the party waiting to pick up the goods at the port of destination and who has the right to pick up the goods is the consignee. The customs declaration agency is responsible for customs clearance, and the consignee still picks up the goods.
If a letter of credit is involved, the party authorized to take delivery of the goods as stipulated in the letter of credit is the consignee. The customs declaration agency declares the consignee according to this stipulation when handling customs declaration.
Under the provisions of international trade terms, the party responsible for receiving the goods at the designated destination is the consignee. The customs declaration agency only completes the work of the customs declaration stage.
In the import process, the party that enjoys the full rights and interests of the goods, including but not limited to the right of disposal and the right of use, is the consignee. The customs declaration agency does not have these rights and interests.