Common errors in a customs declaration (and how to avoid them)

1. A missing country of origin, or one confused with the country of dispatch

The origin of goods is the country where they were wholly obtained or underwent their last substantial transformation. It is not necessarily the country they are shipped from: shoes made in Vietnam and shipped from a warehouse in China are still of Vietnamese origin.

Origin determines the applicable duties, any anti-dumping measures and access to tariff preferences. A missing or wrong origin is one of the most frequent causes of inspections and adjustments.

2. Inconsistent weights

Net weight (goods only) cannot exceed gross weight (goods plus packaging). This inversion, often the result of copying and pasting from the packing list, is immediately picked up by control systems.

• Check that every line has a net weight lower than or equal to its gross weight.
• Compare the total weight with the one on the transport document.
• Use the same unit (kilograms) on every document.

3. An incomplete value or a missing currency

When importing into the European Union, the customs value generally includes the price paid plus transport and insurance costs up to the EU border. The Incoterm tells you which costs are already included in the invoiced price: without it, the declared value may be understated.

A zero value, an unspecified currency or an invoice total that differs from the sum of the lines are all signals that trigger requests for supporting documents.

4. A description that is too vague

“Spare parts”, “accessories”, “goods” or “samples” make it impossible to classify the product or assess the risk. The description should state what the product is, what it is made of and what it is used for: “steel ball bearings for industrial machinery” rather than “parts”.

For shipments subject to ENS (ICS2), a vague description can even block loading.

5. A malformed or unchecked HS code

The HS code has 6 digits shared worldwide, the EU Combined Nomenclature (CN) has 8 digits and the TARIC code has 10 digits for imports into the EU. A code in the wrong format is rejected; a well-formed but wrong code leads to incorrect duties.

Reusing the supplier's code without checking it is risky: the importer remains responsible for the classification.

6. No EORI number

Any business importing or exporting in the European Union needs an EORI number. It starts with the country code followed by a national identifier. Without a valid EORI, the declaration cannot be filed.

7. Missing documents

The commercial invoice, packing list and transport document form the backbone of the file. If you claim a preferential rate, proof of origin is essential: without it, full duties apply, sometimes retroactively.

How to avoid these errors

The most effective method is to systematically check the file before preparing the declaration, using a fixed checklist. That is exactly what our free checker does: it verifies essential fields, consistency and documents, then gives you a score and a list of actions.