New customs declaration form speeds up e-commerce cargo:

Dutch Customs has teamed up with the Schiphol Cargo community to launch a new simplified e-Commerce declaration form called VENUE. The new form was designed to help shippers import and export items purchased from e-Commerce platforms – like fashion, personal care and homeware – throughout the Union Customs Code transition period, which ends in January 2021.

VENUE will help to provide a high-quality, efficient service

'Schiphol Cargo and Dutch Customs cooperate together with stakeholders at the airport, to find new ways of working to further improve efficiencies,' said Saskia van Pelt, Business Development Director at Schiphol Cargo. 'The air cargo market is changing and we are seeing a huge increase in e-Commerce parcels. Schiphol focuses on ensuring to continue to provide a high quality, efficient service for our e-Commerce customers. VENUE will help us to do just that.'

VENUE-authorised shippers are able to submit a pre-declaration, leaving out one or more particulars, such as the Harmonised System (HS) code. Goods valued at € 22 or less require no supplementary declarations.

Saving time and costs for all parties

VENUE has significant advantages because generating HS codes can be time-consuming. It is an innovative solution that will keep cargo moving smoothly through AMS, while maintaining efficient and reliable customs clearance processes at the same time. Particulars are periodically provided to customs with a supplementary declaration. This process reduces administrative time and costs for both customs and the authorisation holder.

'The rise in e-Commerce is changing the supply chain. Last year, we saw an increase of 15% in customs declarations, even though the volumes at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol remained stable,' said Alex (A.J.) Drost, AEO Auditor at Dutch Customs.

The VENUE declaration form will be available until Q3, 2019.