Need clarification on Customs announcement

Buzzard

Well-known member
Feb 28, 2004
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Costambar
The following article was clipped from Dominican Today:
Santo Domingo.- The Customs recently announced that starting April 3 all people who import any type of merchandise through couriers must submit the commercial invoice.

The document will be a required to demonstrate their import is the result of an international purchase and sale.

The measure is based on executive order 402-05 of July 28, 2005, which regulates the express dispatch of shipments. The DGA warns that in the opposite case – where people don’t present the commercial invoice -, they must prove that it is an operation in which isn’t a sale.

According to Customs, the measure also complies with executive order 36-11 of January 20, 2011, which establishes the Customs Valuation Regulation, according to the GATT Agreement of 1994 on tariffs and taxes.

What are the 'mechanics' of this ruling?
1. Must the invoice be in the 'package'?
2. If so, how does one get Amazon, for example, to include paperwork that has the price, rather than just a shipping document?
3. Is the package held by Customers or the shipper (e.g. BM Cargo)?

Thanks for any help with this.
 

beeza

Silver
Nov 2, 2006
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Many of these courier companies have a facility to upload the invoice on their websites.  Let's say you have purchased something off eBay or Amazon.  As soon as the package ships you usually get a tracking number i.e. Fedex, UPS, USPS etc.  Use that tracking number to register with the DR courier website and upload an electronic invoice.  In case of eBay, you can use the paypal invoice.

Save those invoices as a PDF or JPEG and upload them into your courier website.
 

windeguy

Platinum
Jul 10, 2004
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Having an invoice has been the practice for years now. What is different about this?

Are items under $200 US still exempt?
 

cobraboy

Pro-Bono Demolition Hobbyist
Jul 24, 2004
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I always ask that a proper invoice showing the purchase details including price be enclosed with the shipment.

Once in a while a shipper screws up and encloses just a packing slip that doesn't show the price. I get an email from EPS and return it with a .pdf of the purchase.

As breeza states, a PayPal or Amazon invoice works.
 

ju10prd

On Vacation!
Nov 19, 2014
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Accountkiller
http://www.diariolibre.com/m/notici...mercancias-a-traves-de-los-couriers-KE6611840

La Dirección General de Aduanas anunció que todas las personas que importen cualquier tipo de mercancías a través de los servicios de Empresa de Transporte Expreso Internacional (couriers) estarán obligadas a presentar la factura comercial que demuestre que su importación es producto de una operación de compra y venta internacional

They are probably trying to identify those that are sending goods by couriers with an artificial suppressed value using intermediaries invoices.

If you are sending anything over $10 you best include a recognized commercial invoice (or perhaps proforma if you have a monthly account with the vendor) from April 3rd.
 

Mauricio

Gold
Nov 18, 2002
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The courier opens all packages anyway still in Miami (at least eps does) and will ask for an invoice if it's not inside.
 

charlise

Bronze
Nov 1, 2012
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Every time CPS asks me for the commercial invoice on my purchases from Amazon, I sent them a copy of the Amazon's invoice that I received when I completed my purchase. That was always accepted without a problem.
 

Jaime809

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Aug 23, 2012
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What are the 'mechanics' of this ruling?
1. Must the invoice be in the 'package'?
2. If so, how does one get Amazon, for example, to include paperwork that has the price, rather than just a shipping document?
3. Is the package held by Customers or the shipper (e.g. BM Cargo)?

Thanks for any help with this.

It still annoys me that Amazon stopped including an invoice in the package, and there doesn't seem to be a dialog that lets you ask to have it included. Unless I simply haven't found it yet, which is possible.