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Language Foundation

customs duty

Customs duty is a tax that a government charges on goods imported into a country.

In plain English

It is a government tax on goods brought into a country from abroad. The charge applies because the goods are being imported.

In context

Here, it names the government tax on the imported goods as one charge line in the clearance cost summary.

Situation
Completing customs, import, export, duty, declaration, and clearance administration
What it communicates
labels a charge line in the clearance cost summary.

Meaning limits

The term by itself does not state the amount of the tax or whether a charge applies in a particular case.

Examples

“Unlike the locally made chairs, the imported tables carried customs duty at the border.”

Core meaning

“The clearance summary lists customs duty separately from handling and storage charges.”

In context

  • tax Broader Term

    Customs duty is a kind of tax.

  • import duty Near Synonym

    Both refer to a tax charged on goods brought into a country.