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Customs Clearance Automotive

We clear your components, modules and finished vehicles for OEMs, Tier-1 and Tier-2 suppliers in the NL/BE-DE corridor - synchronised to your Just-in-Time and Just-in-Sequence cadence. We file ATLAS import and export declarations, verify preferences under EU FTAs, resolve anti-dumping exposure on e-bikes and trailers, process Carnet ATA for tooling and test samples, and set up Inward Processing for repair traffic - based in Emmerich am Rhein, directly adjacent to the Lower Rhine customs offices.

AEOAEO-certified
decadesindustry expertise
EU+NL/BE/DE access

What automotive clients get from us

We serve your supply chain where customs meets production control - plant arrival cadence, line-stop risk and Just-in-Sequence windows leave no room for ATLAS errors, T1 delays or unresolved preference questions. We clear your containers from Asia and the USA via Rotterdam, Antwerp and Vlissingen, discharge T1 at your inland customs office, resolve anti-dumping on sensitive commodity groups, process Carnet ATA for your test samples and fixtures, and set up Inward Processing for tooling repairs from non-EU countries.

Trust anchors at a glance

JIT
Just-in-sequence ready
ATA
Carnet for test samples
AEO-C
Authorised Economic Operator

Typical automotive customs scenarios

  • We process your OEM imports of modules and components from Asia (sensors, ECUs, steel pressed parts) via NL/BE ports, run T1 to Emmerich or your plant inland customs office, and file JIT-capable ATLAS imports.
  • We export your injection moulds and stamping dies to non-EU countries under Inward Processing, bring them back after repair or treat them as returned goods - without double duty.
  • We process Carnet ATA for your prototype parts, test samples and metrology equipment on trial drives in non-EU countries (Istanbul Convention) instead of running classical import and export.
  • We file your export declarations for new vehicles, spare parts containers and aftermarket assortments to non-EU countries with EUR.1 or statement on origin under approved exporter status or REX.
  • On your imports of e-bikes, pedelecs, trailers and semi-trailers from China, Vietnam or Morocco we check the anti-dumping and anti-subsidy situation and set the correct TARIC additional code with manufacturer code in the declaration.
  • We handle your used-vehicle export via the Lower Rhine - including export plates, EAD issuance and proof of VAT-exempt intra-Community supply or non-EU export.

Just-in-Time and Just-in-Sequence clearance

Your line-cadence buffer is measured in hours, not days - an ATLAS declaration stuck in error status due to a wrong procedure code or missing authorisation number can cost you a line stop. We work with master data templates per material, hold TARIC codes, preferential status and procedure codes per supplier in our system, and where you hold the relevant authorisation we use Entry in the Declarant's Records (EIDR) or Centralised Clearance for Import (CCI), live since ATLAS 10.2 on 28 February 2026. You get a fixed customs slot at your plant - we file at the competent customs office for your site and present at Rotterdam or Antwerp without any detour through the port customs office.

Preferences: EU FTAs and origin management

We verify your preferential position under the EU FTAs with South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, the UK and Canada - duty-free entry or a reduced rate is only available when origin rules are met and properly documented. We screen your supplier declarations, EUR.1 certificates and statements on origin for plausibility, flag unmet list rules (value-added thresholds, specific processing steps) and apply for your approved exporter status or REX registration. If preference is later withdrawn, the post-clearance demand hits you as importer, not the foreign supplier - we cut that risk before the shipment clears.

Anti-dumping on e-bikes, trailers and components

Before your import we check whether your supplier is listed under the EU anti-dumping Regulations 2019/72 and 2019/73 (electric bicycles from China) and the measures on certain trailers and semi-trailers with a reduced individual duty rate. We assess whether an origin shift via Vietnam, Morocco or Tunisia withstands an EU circumvention review, and we set the manufacturer-specific TARIC additional codes correctly in your ATLAS declaration - a wrong code triggers the highest residual rate, in practice 50 to 80 percent added to the customs value.

ATA Carnet for test samples and metrology equipment

  • We process Carnet ATA for your prototype parts on winter tests in Scandinavia or heat tests in the MENA region - this saves you import duties in the destination country and re-import duty on return.
  • We move your metrology, test rigs and diagnostic equipment for service work at OEM customers in non-EU countries duty-free under temporary admission - with full re-export obligation.
  • We process your trade fair exhibits at CES, IAA Mobility and Automechanika Dubai under Carnet - as an alternative to classical temporary admission with duty security.
  • We apply for your Carnet ATA through the competent Chamber of Commerce, manage the stamping discipline at offices of entry and exit, and close the Carnet cleanly - including evidence in case of lost stamps.

Inward Processing for tooling and repairs

When you send an injection mould to a non-EU supplier for reworking, or bring a unit from the USA to Germany for repair, we set up Inward Processing. We accept your non-EU goods into the procedure without levying import duties, oversee the EU processing step and discharge the procedure through re-export. We apply for the authorisation with product identification, rate of yield and time limit, run the procedure account and close out via re-export or release into free circulation with import duty assessment. For warranty repairs we reduce the customs value to the repair amount - material, labour and a share of transport - with full documentary backup.

CBAM exposure in automotive

We check your steel, aluminium and ironware components against CBAM Regulation 2023/956 Annex I - machine and body parts under HS Chapters 73 and 76 are in scope depending on commodity position. We map your TARIC codes against the CBAM product list, verify your CBAM threshold exposure (cumulative 50 tonnes net mass per importer per year from 1 January 2026 for all CBAM goods except electricity and hydrogen) and handle your quarterly reporting obligation in the CBAM transitional registry before the certificate requirement takes effect.

Pitfalls we avoid

  • Wrong TARIC additional code on e-bike imports - we prevent the maximum residual anti-dumping rate from applying instead of your supplier's individual rate.
  • Supplier declarations without sufficient substance - we screen declarations before import so your preference survives an audit or post-clearance check in the non-EU country.
  • Tooling traffic without Inward Processing - we set up the procedure before dispatch so you avoid double duty on the repair return from a non-EU country.
  • Forgotten Carnet discharge - we track the Carnet through to clean closure so your guarantee amount does not forfeit after the deadline and the issuing Chamber does not charge your account.
  • ICS2 data too generic - we supply concrete HS descriptions rather than 'auto parts' so your air freight does not trigger a 'do not load'.
Request automotive clearance Talk to us: 02828 9039920

Frequently asked questions

Yes. We hold your master data per material and supplier - TARIC code, preferential status, procedure code, authorisation numbers - and file the ATLAS declaration in minutes, not hours. Where you hold an AEOC or AEOF authorisation, we combine Entry in the Declarant's Records (EIDR) with a reduced control rate. For your NL/BE port shipments we use Centralised Clearance for Import (CCI), live since ATLAS 10.2 on 28 February 2026 - you send us the delivery advice and invoice, we file at your plant's customs office and present at the port, without detour.
We check the HS classification against the current anti-dumping and anti-subsidy regulations, identify the manufacturer code (TARIC additional code) of your supplier and verify whether they are listed with a reduced individual duty rate. You send us your supplier's certificate of origin and production data; we tell you whether the origin claim holds. For sourcing via Vietnam, Morocco or Tunisia we assess whether the processing genuinely changes origin - the EU runs active circumvention reviews and your supplier's declaration alone is not sufficient.
Both routes let you move goods duty-free on a temporary basis. The ATA Carnet is an international customs document under the Istanbul Convention - the issuing Chamber of Commerce provides the guarantee on your behalf, accepted uniformly across 75 member countries. Temporary admission under the UCC is a national procedure with a separate authorisation and your own security deposit. For test samples, metrology equipment and trade fair exhibits we typically recommend the Carnet - faster to obtain, cheaper to run, and no security tied up on your balance sheet.
You send us the tooling data and the repair order. We set up your Outward Processing authorisation - or check whether the repair qualifies as 'processing outside the customs territory' under an existing authorisation. When the tool leaves the EU, Union goods status is retained. On return, we duty only the repair value (material plus labour plus a share of transport cost), not the full tool value. For warranty repairs without added value, we build the case for duty exemption.
CBAM under Regulation 2023/956 targets steel, aluminium, iron, cement, hydrogen, fertiliser and electricity from Annex I. Pure electronics are mostly out of scope, but metal-intensive body parts, chassis components and structural assemblies can be in. You send us your material list with TARIC codes; we check position by position and return a CBAM-relevant / not-relevant flag per material number.
Yes. We file your export declarations (EAD), verify preferential proofs under EU FTAs, screen sanctions lists (Russia, Belarus, Iran), clarify end-use requirements for sensitive models (armoured vehicles, high-precision drivetrains) and coordinate with your forwarder and shipper. For used-vehicle export via the Lower Rhine, we run the complete process - including export plate coordination with the registration authority and proof of VAT-exempt supply.
We charge a flat fee per declaration, with add-ons for Carnet handling, authorisation setup (Inward Processing), CBAM quarterly reporting and anti-dumping review. For your JIT volumes we negotiate per-unit pricing with promptly delivered turnaround. You get a non-binding quote as soon as possible after your enquiry.