Customs Declarant
The role of customs declarant is a highly technical and detailed one, which is essential to maintaining the flow of goods in the logistics and freight forwarding sectors where cross-border goods shipments are being made. You’ll be checking consignments before they have left the factory or warehouse, whether that’s in person or via local teams charged with ensuring everything is in order.
As a customs declarant, you’ll find yourself dealing with customers, overseas departments of your own company and suppliers on a daily basis. You’ll also be dealing with the HMRC in the UK regularly, or the equivalent customs, duty and taxation bodies in foreign countries. In some roles, the job can be much deeper, visiting manufacturers and buyers to check up on their processes, stock and paperwork and making sure it’s compliant for the proposed contracts. Often, it is all done remotely, however, and this can open the role up to hybrid working arrangements for certain declarants.
The skills required
Primarily, you’ll be experienced in customs and duty procedures, but since that is a huge subject, some companies are looking for talent that’s experienced in a certain field, for example chemicals, pharmaceuticals or aviation. The number of years’ experience desired varies from business to business, but most are looking for at least 2 years, while others want as much as 5 years in the job.
You’ll be knowledgeable in customs classification, and should know your own jurisdiction’s rules inside out, while being a fast learner when it comes to getting to grips with the rules in other nations and specialised sectors. Your attention to detail and accuracy will be second to none, and you’ll be able to communicate complicated legal concepts succinctly and unambiguously.
Customs Declarant Jobs in Swansea
Once known informally as Copperopolis because of its fame as a region for smelting Cornish copper, Swansea has transformed itself from a typical Industrial Revolution city to a modern, fashionable and affluent part of Wales. Much of its employment is now in the service industries, most notably financial services, with retail also contributing. However its two most famous exports are probably the poet Dylan Thomas and Hollywood star Catherine Zeta-Jones!
Also like many industrial towns and cities across the UK, it bore the brunt of German air raids in the Second World War, and has been heavily developed in the post-war period. A key development came in 1981, when Swansea Enterprise Park became the UK’s first enterprise zone. With excellent transport connections in the shape of the A4067, A4217 and A48 and the South Wales Mainline, the zone continues to attract businesses, which means the logistics element is regularly on the lookout for Customs Declarant positions to be filled.
Some of the larger employers on the Swansea Enterprise Park are beauty product manufactuer Alberto-Culver, industrial carbon and ceramics company Morgan Crucible, packaging firm Viskase, The Land Registry and Welsh Water.
Popular locations
Customs declarants needed now
Nothing can be left to chance with customs declarations, so logistics and import/export businesses are always looking for the most experienced declarants, and very competitive salaries are available for the right candidates.
If you’re looking at customs declarant jobs and have the skills and the experience, why not leave your details with us by registering below? We will get in touch when a relevant opening becomes available – it could be a life-changing decision.
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