Includes customs regulations and contact information for this country's customs office.
Last Published: 2/17/2019

Overview

All shipments must be made on a direct consignment basis.  Customs regulations stipulate that the consignee is the owner of the shipment and is responsible for all customs payments.  Thus, a consignee may make the required payments and remove the merchandise from customs.
It is important to have a reliable and known consignee as the ownership status allows the consignee to have complete control over the imported product.  Similarly, some U.S. companies have had difficulties with sight draft transactions.  When Venezuelan companies either delay or refuse to claim merchandise arriving in Venezuelan ports, customs will impound the unclaimed goods and in cases where steep fines and storage fees are not promptly paid, customs sells the goods at auction.
Since Venezuelan customs involve many steps, most importers contract a customs agent.  There are additional charges for document preparation and incidentals.  The importer normally pays these expenses.

 

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