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Language Foundation

customs declaration

A customs declaration is a formal statement submitted to customs authorities that gives the required details of goods entering or leaving a country for customs control and duty assessment.

In plain English

It is an official filing about goods, not just a general description. It states the required information customs needs when goods enter or leave a country. Customs uses that information for control and for assessing duty.

In context

Here, "customs declaration" names the formal filing being completed for the goods so customs can review the required details and assess duty.

Situation
Completing customs, import, export, duty, declaration, and clearance administration
What it communicates
names the customs filing being completed in the clearance portal.

Meaning limits

The term itself does not show whether the declaration has been accepted, whether the goods are cleared, or whether any duty is owed.

Examples

“The shipper filed a customs declaration listing the quantity, value, and origin of the goods before they left the country.”

Core meaning

“For the spare parts in the crate, the broker completed the customs declaration that afternoon.”

In context

  • declaration Broader Term

    A customs declaration is a specific kind of declaration.

  • customs clearance Contrast

    The declaration is the submitted statement; customs clearance is the release or approval status of the goods after customs processing.