Who owns what

Declared value, assists and the parts buyers forget

Three parties touch declared customs value, and most disputes come from assuming somebody else owns a step. This is how we split it.

Shipper responsibilities: currency and incoterm

Tooling, moulds or design work supplied free of charge to the factory are classic assists that still belong in the declared value.

We confirm this division in writing before the cargo moves, not after a charge appears.

Forwarder responsibilities: calculation trail

Record the currency, incoterm and any discount separately so the broker can reconstruct the calculation months later.

Our coordinator keeps one owner per step so a handover cannot fall between two teams.

Consignee / broker responsibilities: assists and royalties

Customs value starts from the transaction price but normally adds assists, royalties, packing, and transport or insurance to the border as the rules require.

The consignee sees the same document set, which removes the usual "we never received it" argument.

The failure point we see most often: Declaring the ex-works figure from the supplier invoice with no adjustments for assists or inbound freight.

Have these ready before filing:

Commercial invoice and packing list with matching values and descriptions.
Classification, origin and any licence references used in the declaration.
Booking reference, transport document and the consignee’s broker contact.

Questions importers ask us

Who is responsible for getting this right on a China-origin shipment?

The shipper supplies accurate product and value data; Hovmar Logistics checks the file before submission and coordinates with the destination broker. We confirm the split in writing at booking.

Can Hovmar review this before the cargo leaves Shenzhen?

Yes. Send the commercial invoice, packing list and intended classification before cutoff and our customs desk will flag gaps while they are still easy to fix.

Where this fits in your shipment

Planning a shipment from Shenzhen?

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Notes from the Hovmar Logistics customs desk in Shenzhen. Confirm current requirements with your licensed broker before filing.