Customs disputes

Approach and deliverables

We identify whether the dispute concerns classification, value, origin, exemption conditions or another issue. The chronology of assessment, examination, provisional release and notices shapes the available response.

The engagement can include a technical-document request, transaction reconciliation, draft factual response and counsel briefing. Detention or release questions are treated separately from the final merits of the demand.

Create a shipment register linking the disputed goods to declaration numbers, invoice lines and the authority correspondence. Separate shipments with different product specifications or commercial terms so a factual explanation for one consignment is not applied to another without checking.

Records for the case file

• Bill of entry or shipping bill and assessment records
• Invoice, purchase terms and freight or insurance details
• Product specifications and origin evidence
• Notices, examination reports and prior submissions

Retain the product literature and specifications applicable to the goods as shipped, together with purchase amendments and broker correspondence. Where a supplier description conflicts with an examination record, identify the discrepancy and the person able to provide a technical explanation.

A practical example

A classification dispute cannot be resolved from a short invoice description alone. Obtain technical literature and intended-use evidence that explain what the imported goods actually are.

For equipment shipped with accessories, prepare a component list showing what arrived together and how each item appears in the commercial and technical records. That factual picture gives the specialist a clearer basis for assessing the issue than a single generic equipment description.

Engagement boundaries

Brokerage, laboratory examination and court representation require separately appointed providers. We do not guarantee release of goods, an exemption or a valuation outcome.

The proposal states the period, procedural stage, drafting and appearance work included. Share the deadline during intake; a public enquiry does not appoint a representative or extend any statutory time limit.

The closing file connects each submission to its supporting exhibits and records any remaining request for technical evidence. Keep release-related correspondence, bonds or payment records distinct from the substantive response file, with follow-up responsibilities agreed with the appointed providers.