Patent ID: 7657539

Claim:
A system for facilitating customs planning and clearance, the system comprising: means for creating in an international customs server, in response to a signal communicated through a client device coupled for data communications through at least one internet connection to the international customs server, a master customs planning record, wherein the master customs planning record comprises: a master identification Field in which is stored a master identity code for the master customs planning record, and a duty total field in which is stored the total amount of duty to be paid on goods identified in related customs planning records; means for creating in an international customs server a related customs planning record, wherein the related customs planning record is related through a foreign key field to the master customs planning record, wherein the related customs planning record comprises: the foreign key held in which is stored the master identity code of the master customs planning record; one or more description fields describing the goods for import to a destination country, the destination country having an identity; a duty amount field in which is stored an amount of duty to be paid on the goods; and the identity of the destination country; means for calculating duty on the goods described in the related customs planning record; means for storing the amount of the calculated duty in the duty amount field in the related customs planning record; and means for incrementing, by the amount of the calculated duty stored in the duty amount field in the related customs planning record, the total amount of duty stored in the duty total field in the master customs planning record.