1. Faster Customs Clearance Procedure

Japan Customs tries to reduce the time spent for the procedure of export/import clearance as a part of trade facilitation.

In cargo clearance, export/import declarations through the computer network system, NACCS (Nippon Automated Cargo and Port Consolidated System), are automatically classified into one of 3 categories:

(1) Immediate permission
(2) Documentary examination
(3) Physical Inspection

According to the survey on import declaration conducted in 2015, declarations classified in (2) and (3) have been cleared within about 2.4 hours in average, showing that the time is reduced to 1/10 of the time in the first survey conducted in 1991(about 26.1 hours in average).

2. More Efforts for Faster Procedures

How did Japan Customs realize such faster clearance procedures?

The followings are some of the measures to expedite the process.

(1) Computerization

In the old days, all import/export declarations were submitted to Customs on a paper basis, but above-mentioned NACCS started in 1991 now electronically process about 98% of import/export declarations.

(2) Other Clearance Systems

To achieve faster clearance procedures, Japan Customs has been introducing various clearance systems.
◆ Advance Ruling System: Traders can make inquiries to Customs about the amount of duties or other necessary procedures before declaration,
◆ Preliminary Declaration System: Traders can make declarations before their cargos arrive in Japan.