American Expatriate Costa Rica

Customs retains seven tons of merchandise with inconsistencies

The National Customs Service retained more than seven tons of goods with inconsistencies in their importation.

Among the retained items are children’s clothing, perfumes and fabrics, which importers intended to get into the country without paying the corresponding taxes and without mandatory health permits.

Errors were also detected in the customs declaration and non-compliance by customs agents with circulars issued by the National Customs Service.

Among the most recent findings is the one carried out in a warehouse in Caldera, where “sandbags” were nationalized and not four tons of detergents from China, as officials from Customs noted.

In two customs warehouses located in Heredia, half a ton of new clothing for children of recognized brands was withheld, which was not declared at the time of importation.

In a second warehouse in Barreal de Heredia, there were 403 kilograms of fabrics bought via Internet, which were not declared at the time of importation.

Regarding this last finding, the Customs General Directorate indicated that when packages purchased via the Internet are detected, and they have not been correctly declared before the customs authority, they are retained in the customs.

It was recommended to always verify that the companies that are hired to carry out the shipments are duly registered and authorized by the Customs General Directorate.

The Ministry of Finance indicated that these operations will continue on a permanent basis and will intensify as the end of the year approaches. The detected irregularities involve collection procedures and fines for those responsible.

crhoy.com