New Schiphol program a boon for e-commerce shippers

Customs authorities at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol won’t be sweating that new hand blender you ordered from sainsburys.co.uk, thanks to VENUE, a simplified e-commerce deceleration program launched by the Dutch Customs authority and the Schiphol cargo community. VENUE-authorized shippers can now submit a simplified pre-declaration, allowing their packages to clear customs without extensive holdups or scrutiny.

Shippers also no longer have to enter certain time-consuming particulars, such as the Harmonized System (HS) code, or supplementary declarations for goods valued at €22 or less. The new rules apply to items purchased via e-commerce platforms and extend through the Union Customs Code transition period, which ends in January 2021. VENUE declaration will be available until Q3 2019.

The new program is a response to surging e-commerce volumes, which rose by 15 percent, even as volumes were relatively stable overall, according to Dutch Customs. For shippers, bypassing HS codes reduces costs for all parties, while simultaneously maintaining efficient and reliable Customs clearance processes.

Saskia van Pelt, business development director for Schiphol Cargo, explained that, “The air cargo market is changing, and we are seeing a huge increase in e-commerce parcels.” Programs such as VENUE, she added, make it easier for Schiphol to adapt to this e-commerce evolution.

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