Customs yesterday launched its new "Express Dispatch" service for those importers that demonstrate "clear and transparent behavior" in their customs operations. With the new service, certain types of imports can be off-loaded from ships and put on transport trucks within hours, rather than the days that such steps required in the past. The reduction in time and documentation steps required should help importers cut costs. Customs’ Operations Subdirector Gregorio Lora explains that the new service should primarily benefit importers of products that are easily verified or in large volumes, such as wood, metals, rice, refrigerated products and merchandise earmarked for companies in free trade zones (FTZs or "zonas francas" as they are known in the DR). He said that the companies which can utilize the service are those which have not been found to commit any type of customs fraud within the past year. "This is a way to reward those entities that have behaved correctly with Customs." Importers wishing to take advantage of the service have to present certain types of documentation to Customs in electronic form ahead of the arrival of the merchandise. Whether to prepay the anticipated tariffs and fees will be left up to the importer.
