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03/10/2021

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26/09/2021

What Are the Stages Within a Supply Chain?

In its simplest form the stages in a supply chain are as depicted within the Porters Value Chain and this can be considered a good guide to a supply chain structure

Logistics
Operations
Marketing and Sales
Services.

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24/09/2021

The Customs Clearance Process
In four steps, here's what happens when a shipment arrives at customs.

1. A customs officer examines your customs paperwork. These documents must be accurate and complete, specifically the shipping label and commercial invoice. The commercial invoice is most important because it lists the contact information for the shipper, the receiver, as well as the export date and airway bill number. Here's a full list of all necessary paperwork for customs clearance.

Commercial clearance for customs clearance
Commercial invoice for customs clearance
2. Import duties and taxes are assessed using the customs paperwork. Import fees vary depending on the type of goods, their value, and specific import regulations in the receiving country. Import duties are assessed on goods that exceed the de minimus value, or the minimum taxable threshold for imported goods. For example, a de minimus value of $100 means goods valued at $100 or less incur no import duties.

3. Customs requests payment for taxes and duties, if applicable. If your shipment exceeds the tax threshold, the customs officer checks if duty and taxes have been paid. Additionally, certain restricted goods may incur fees regardless of their value.

At this point, the choice between shipping with Deliver Duty Unpaid (DDU) and Deliver Duty Paid (DDP) becomes relevant.

Delivery Duty Paid (DDP) means that import duties and taxes have already been paid. Most express couriers services like FedEx have customs brokers who will process this payment on your behalf at customs. With DDP, the price you paid for shipping covers any import fees, and this is reflected on the attached shipping label. In other words, using DDP is the best way to ensure a smooth customs clearance process.

Delivery Duty Unpaid (DDU) means that import duties and taxes are unpaid. In this case, the customs officer forwards the shipment to an independent customs broker to collect the required amount.

Customs brokers are middlemen who charge fees for facilitating the customs clearance process. These variable fees can be expensive because they include brokerage, storage, and late payment.

With customs fees unpaid, the broker will contact the recipient to collect payment. Obviously, this may upset customers.

Here's a comparison of potential charges when shipping DDP an DDU:

DDU DDP Comparison charges
With so many variable costs, shipping DDU makes it impossible to tell customers the final amount for shipping. This is why we recommend that sellers pre-pay duties for a smooth delivery experience. Learn more about DDU and DDP here.

4. Your shipment clears customs once all duties are paid. Once customs clearance is complete, your chosen courier service transports the shipment from customs to the end-destination. Shipments rarely get stuck at customs. When they do, it's usually because of faulty paperwork. Here's what to do if your shipment gets stuck at customs.

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12/09/2021

09/09/2021

IMPORTS

An import declaration fee (IDF) of 2.25% of the CIF Value subject to a minimum of 5,000.00 Kenyan Shillings is payable. Customs will assess duty payable depending on the value of the item(s) and the duty rate applicable. The East African Community Common External Tariff laying out the duty rates of imported items is available.

Kenya has a pre-shipment inspection requirement (the Pre-Shipment Verification of Conformity, or PVoC) for exports destined for Kenya. Exports to Kenya must also obtain an additional Import Standards Mark (ISM), which must be affixed to a list of sensitive imported products sold in Kenya.

For a small number of health, environment, and security imports, import licenses are required. Imports of machinery and equipment classified as equity capital or loan purchases must be received prior to exchange approval; local banks will not issue shipping guarantees for clearance of imports in the absence of such approval. All imports procured by Kenyan-based importers must be insured with companies licensed to conduct business in Kenya. Importation of animals, plants, and seeds are subject to quarantine regulations.
All Kenyan imports are required to have the following documents: Import Declaration Forms (IDF); a Certificate of Conformity (CoC) from the PVoC agent for regulated products; an import standards mark (ISM) when applicable; and valid pro forma invoices from the exporting firm.