The Six Steps of the International Shipping Process

What is customs clearance?

Customs clearance is a mandatory legal process required to declare cross-border goods to regulatory authorities before they can enter or leave a country. When goods move from one country to another, they may be required to go through customs clearance.

The goods must be declared to customs authorities – a mandatory process known as customs declaration. This is a data set of information about the goods that helps customs authorities to check whether they comply with applicable laws and regulations of the destination country, and calculate the customs duties and taxes owed.

Customs activities are generally performed by dedicated experts, but since these experts represent the actual importer/exporter, the importer/exporter must provide correct and complete information in connection to the shipment to DHL.

This can help to avoid delays, fines and penalties, and frustration. For a Brazilian business, a single inaccurate description can lead to severe penalties or prolonged retention at the outbound gateway.

How do Receita Federal regulations impact Brazilian express exports?

Receita Federal regulations impact Brazilian express exports because every international shipment must be electronically linked to a formal tax ID and verified through the national Siscomex system before departure.

Unlike less regulated trade zones, Brazil requires all commercial export volumes to validate the shipper's CNPJ (Cadastro Nacional da Pessoa Jurídica) and the specific NCM (Nomenclatura Comum do Mercosul) codes of the products. According to data from SEBRAE, administrative errors and incorrect tax invoicing are the leading causes of customs delays for Brazilian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) entering global markets.

To maintain compliance and avoid tax penalties, your business must utilize the Declaração Única de Exportação (Due) workflow. This centralized electronic ledger replaces older, paper-heavy systems and automatically transmits your fiscal data to the Receita Federal.

Ensuring your e-commerce platform or ERP system—such as Bling or Tiny—is synchronized with your logistics provider ensures that your tax invoices (Nota Fiscal de Exportação) match your international manifest data seamlessly.

 The Six Steps of the International Shipping Process with DHL

Step 1 – Provide your data to DHL Express

When you ship goods across international borders, you must complete a Commercial/Proforma Invoice. This contains detailed information about the goods being shipped and is used by DHL Express to prepare the customs declaration for authorities.

A Commercial/Proforma Invoice is a mandatory, fundamental document for customs clearance. Please find below an overview of the key data elements required for international transit:

1. Shipper/Exporter & Receiver/Importer details: Complete legal names, physical addresses, and active contact information. For Brazilian companies, your CNPJ must be clearly visible.

2. Identification number(s): Tax identification numbers applicable to the destination, such as a VAT/GST number, EORI number, or TIN/PIN number.

3. Goods Descriptions: Line-item descriptions of the commodities using detailed, precise, and plain language. Avoid generic terms like "clothing" or "parts."

4. Harmonized System (HS) Code(s): The specific line-item HS Code, preferably listing the complete import tariff code to match local classifications.

5. Country of Origin: The native country in which the goods were originally produced or manufactured.

6. Values & Currency: Line-item value of the specific goods, alongside an additional breakdown of applicable cost elements like insurance, freight, and packaging, stated in the transaction currency.

7. Weight / Unit & Quantity: Clear indication of the gross/net weight, standard unit (e.g., KG), and total quantity on a line-item level.

8. INCOTERMS® & Place: The specific international commercial terms and defined location required under the applicable trade agreement.

9. Proof of Origin Statement: If applicable, include the official Proof of Origin statement on the invoice to qualify the receiver for preferential customs duty rates.

10. Reason for Export: Explicitly declare the purpose of the shipment, such as permanent sale, repair and return, temporary export, or gifts.

11. Other Requirements: Verify if specialized export/import licenses or other government requirements, such as health, veterinary, or phytosanitary certificates, are needed.

Inaccurate and incomplete data is one of the main reasons for delays at customs, so be sure to complete the Commercial/Proforma Invoice carefully. Good data quality is key if you want your goods to reach customers on time! Once DHL Express receives this data from the shipper, the customs clearance process begins.

Step 2 – DHL Express performs the security filing

When preparing customs declarations and security filings to customs authorities on customers’ behalf, DHL Express undertakes the responsibility of exercising due diligence to comply with customs regulations. Therefore, it is essential to ensure that your shipment, data, and documentation are compliant with applicable laws, regulations, and DHL Express Terms & Conditions.

Three key non-compliance risks your business must avoid include:

• Submitting an incomplete or inaccurate “goods description” on the Commercial/Proforma Invoice.

• Under-declaring the total commercial value of the goods on your invoice. Customs authorities may hold the shipment and ask for evidence of the transaction. They may even contact your end customer for verification, which damages their user experience.

• Shipping restricted, prohibited, or illegal goods into the destination territory. Shipments classified as Dangerous Goods may require specialized licenses or regulatory permits to gain entry.

Step 3 – DHL Express prepares the customs declaration

The systematic preparation of export and import customs declarations can begin. During this stage, the DHL Express customs team may contact your operational managers to verify specific shipment details or request additional documentation.

Your team must respond to any inquiries quickly to ensure that missing or inaccurate information is resolved before the shipment experiences a physical bottleneck within the network.

Step 4 – DHL Express submits the customs declaration

Once your shipment physically arrives at the outbound gateway, the formal export customs declaration is finalized. DHL Express submits the customs declaration in the name and on behalf of their customers for all shipments sent on its network. This ensures that your brand complies with local border exit mandates automatically.

Step 5 – DHL Express awaits customs response

Customs release times can vary anywhere from a few seconds to several days depending on the specific destination country and its automated risk profiles. DHL provides real-time tracking updates directly to customers, which allows you to monitor the physical progress of your shipment and receive an estimated delivery date.

If all customs requirements are fulfilled, the shipment is officially export released. To optimize your supply chain efficiency, import clearance preparation can occur while the shipment is in transit to the destination country.

Step 6 – Customs released

Once the shipment physically arrives at the destination country, customs authorities utilize the submitted declaration to conduct an assessment and check if the goods comply with applicable laws and regulations.

Once cleared, the duties and taxes are settled based on your chosen Incoterms. From there, the package is delivered to its final destination – the end receiver. With good data quality and professional customs expertise, your global customers will receive their orders on time.

MyGTS: Your gateway to easy international shipping

To speed up international shipping and simplify customs clearance, DHL Express has developed My Global Trade Services (MyGTS), an intuitive, all-in-one portal. This free, user-friendly platform will help you navigate international shipping regulations seamlessly.

Through MyGTS, your business can access the following specialized modules:

• Pre-shipment Planner: A dedicated tool designed to help your business comply with all destination import/export regulations and calculate your total Landed Cost in advance.

• HS Code Classifier: Eliminate guesswork; MyGTS leverages AI to provide the accurate tariff classification for your shipment, making customs clearance faster. You can search for HS Codes using keywords or the built-in directory.

• Landed Cost Calculator: Calculate your estimated product cost, duties & taxes, and freight charges to enhance your pricing strategy and give your customers transparency over estimated shipping fees.

• Regulatory Database: Access guidance on a country’s specific import and export requirements so you can understand key restrictions before you ship.

• Product Catalog: A feature where you can save past searches, product details, and verified tariff codes for quicker repeat shipping.

You can log in with your existing DHL Express Business Account or register a new MyGTS account to enjoy the full benefits.