|                                                                                                                                                                                     |  | TRICKS OF THE TRADE: CUSTOMS CLEARANCE FOR GOODS INTO KAZAKHSTAN                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  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|**BISNISHome PageSearchBISNISEmbassyReportsCountryReportsIndustryReportsCustomsCornerPublicationsSourcesof FinanceFinanceLinkLeadsand EventsExchangeRatesState ExportsOtherSources** |  | February 1999by Natalya AntonenkoGoods shipped to Kazakhstan must be declared to Kazakhstani customs within 15 days of arrival. 
The State Customs
Committee, located in Astana, is the central customs body.  It manages 13 customs departments,
located in each oblast, and
16 customshouses, located throughout Kazakhstan, including four in Almaty oblast.  Customs
clearance is completed by the
customs departments (excluding the department for Almaty city and oblast) and customshouses. 
Customshouses manage one
or several customs points located in Kazakhstan.Imported goods are subject to customs clearance at the customshouse of their arrival.  If, for
example, a firm is registered
with a customshouse in Almaty and the goods arrive in a customshouse in Atyrau, the firm is
required to present confirmation
(issued by the customs body with which the firm is registered in Almaty) that it has no
outstanding customs debts.Customs clearance procedure includes submission of all required documents together with an
electronic copy of the
customs declaration; verification of the documents by a Customs officer; Customs' valuation of
the declared goods; Customs'
calculation of taxes, fees, and duties; and Customs' inspection of goods in the presence of the
importer or the agent and
authorization of their release.The documents required for completing customs clearance include, but are not limited to:Supply Contract or Agreement (original or notarized copy).  The document must be
stamped and signed by
     all parties.Import Transaction Passport (one copy if submitted to the bank that will transfer funds
for the payment of
     goods, or three copies if submitted to Customs).Customs Cargo Declaration.  Form TD-1 must be submitted to Customs in
quadruplicate.Commercial Invoice (one copy).  The document must include: the country of origin; cost
or value of
     packaging materials; labeling and number of packages; weight (net, gross, and tare); quantity
and description
     of goods; price per unit and the total value; purchase price; terms of supply; and exact place of
final dispatch
     in the exporting country.  All invoice data must be in accordance with the terms of the
contract.  The invoice
     must be stamped by the shipper.  The invoice must clearly declare whether the goods are for
sale or private
     use.Shipping Documents (originals). The documents must include the registration numbers
of transportation
     vehicles, weight and description of the cargo, and numbers of the attached contract and of the
license or
     registration.  All documents must be in duplicate.Packing List(s) (originals).  The list must present a brief but complete description of
goods and must be
     stamped by the company.Power of Attorney for Conducting Customs Clearance.  The document is required for
transactions
     conducted through customs brokers or agents.Additionally, depending on the nature of goods, Customs may require the following
documents:  Import License;
     Certificate of Origin; Certificate of Conformity; Declaration of Customs Valuation; insurance
documents;
     Statistical Card; technical documents for equipment; Quarantine Certificate; Sanitary
Certificate; Veterinary
     Certificate; and Certificate of Company's Registration in Kazakhstan.  Note:  The importer
should make all
     necessary copies and have the original documents ready for submission if required.Under the Customs Code, the decision to release goods is made by Customs within 10 days
upon acceptance of the
     cargo declaration.  To avoid delays, all required documents must be prepared and submitted in
a timely and
     orderly fashion in exact accordance with Customs regulations.  A customs declaration must be
filed by a
     Kazakhstani legal entity (a firm or its branch established under Kazakhstani law), a
representative located and
     registered in Kazakhstan, or a permanent resident of Kazakhstan.  A foreign company or
importer must act
     through a customs broker licensed by the State Customs Committee.  The cost of the service
provided by a
     customs broker in Kazakhstan ranges from US$100 to US$700 per shipment, depending on
the means of
     transport, type of goods, and frequency of shipments.The U.S. Embassy notes that U.S. firms have experienced difficulty in getting goods cleared,
given various
     documentation requirements that are often made at the last minute by Customs officers.
Frequent importers are
     advised to utilize prearrival and periodic declaration regimes approved in August 1997. 
However,
     implementation of these has been spotty.  An experienced customs broker may save a firm
headaches,
     demurrage costs, and other fees.Natalya Antonenko represents BISNIS at the U.S. Embassy in Almaty.CUSTOMS BROKERSTERMINAL, Contact: Anatoliy Mukhamedzhanov, President
     22b Manasa Street, Almaty 480008
     Tel: +7 (3272) 42-74-66, 42-67-16
     Fax: +7 (3272) 42-52-83, 53-81-83
     E-mail: [email protected]ZAO ACCEPT CORPORATION, Contact: Ermek Kozhabergenov, Director of the Customs
Department
     555 Seyfullin Prospect, Almaty 480091
     Tel/Fax: +7 (3272) 63-54-62RM LOGISTICS, Contact: Ron Macleod, Director
     49 Panfilov Street, Room 1, Almaty 480091
     Tel: +7 (3272) 32-19-91, 53-57-77
     Fax: +7 (3272) 32-12-31
     E-mail: [email protected]SEA-LAND Service International  (U.S. transportation company)
     Contact: Shelley Fitch, Director
     85 Dostyk Prospect, Kazakh Business Center #407, Almaty 480100
     Tel: +7 (3272) 63-55-44, 69-25-31
     Fax: +7 (3272) 63-59-66
     E-mail: [email protected]This report is provided courtesy of the Business Information Service
     for the Newly Independent States (BISNIS)