What is a customs warehouse?

A customs warehouse is a warehouse recognized by the Customs Authorities for the storage of NON-community merchandise (or community goods with export benefits). This type of warehouse has prior authorization from the Customs and Excise Department. This, according to the conditions established in the Union Customs Code (UCC).

In the UCC, the customs warehouse is established with a “special regime”. And it is that it provides a provisional status of merchandise awaiting import or export clearance or its inclusion in any other customs regime.

Thanks to the customs warehouse, the goods deposited will be exempt from the payment of customs duties. In addition, there will be no need to pay taxes related to its importation. Nor will payment for VAT be made until the final destination of the goods is made.

And it is that in a customs warehouse they can store goods from the European Union. Also non-community linked to other regimes. Always with the prior authorization of the customs authorities.

 

What advantages does a customs warehouse offer?

The customs warehouse offers certain advantages for companies that have low turnover merchandise. Also those that need a stock in Spain. Among the most outstanding advantages are the following:

• Non-existence of a permanence period established for the merchandise in deposit (the term is unlimited, unlike the Temporary Deposit).
• No payment of taxes until the goods leave the warehouse.
• Possibility of making partial shipments and partial outputs of the products. Without the need to physically separate those that have paid taxes from those that have not.
• Ability to ship to countries outside the European Union (re-export) with duty and VAT exemption.
• Possibility of carrying out a quality control of the merchandise before paying the import taxes.
• Power to manipulate the merchandise – as long as its original state is not altered. They are called “Usual Manipulations” and are listed in Annex 71-03 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/2446.
• Possibility of adapting the payment of taxes to actual sales, without the need to make an advance payment. This is due to not facing the payment of import duty or VAT.
• Absence of the application of commercial policy measures except those that prohibit entry into the customs territory of the European Union.

 

Temporary Storage Warehouse

However, it is worth noting the difference between a customs warehouse and a temporary storage warehouse (TSW). The TSW is a point of entry for goods from outside the UE. It is a warehouse managed by authorized logistics operators or by the administration. And in them, the merchandise is in a transitory situation waiting for a final customs destination.

The established period available to the interested party to include the non-EU goods that are in the TSW or to re-export them is 90 days. This is in accordance with the provisions of article 149 of the UCC.

In addition, during the stay in temporary storage, the goods may not be subjected to any type of manipulation. Exception: those destined to guarantee their conservation.

En resumen, un depósito aduanero o almacén aduanero es el lugar donde las mercancías se almacenan bajo el control de la aduana  sin el pago de los derechos e impuestos de importación hasta su asignación de un régimen definitivo.

In short, a customs warehouse or bonded warehouse is the place where goods are stored under customs control without payment of import duties and taxes until they are assigned a definitive regime.

At XGL / Spain we offer a customs warehouse, with 24-hour video surveillance to store goods, including dangerous goods or food.