A held container is rarely a customs problem. It is almost always a paperwork problem that became a customs problem — and then a cash problem, because the charges keep running while it is sorted out. Nearly all of it is decided before the goods ship.
Why shipments get stopped
A declared value that looks wrong
This is the one to watch, because it usually arrives as a favour. A supplier offers to declare a lower value on the invoice "to save you duty". Customs authorities compare declared values against what comparable goods actually sell for. If yours looks too low, the shipment is queried.
Understand where the risk lands. The declaration is submitted in the importer's name. The factory that suggested it is in another country, has been paid, and carries none of it. You are left proving what you actually paid, while the goods sit.
The practical rule is simple: declare the real transaction value, keep the payment evidence, and treat any offer to do otherwise as a warning about the supplier rather than a saving.
The wrong tariff code
Duty is set by classification, and classification is a technical judgement about what the goods actually are. Getting it wrong is a problem in both directions — underpaying invites a correction and a penalty, overpaying is money you did not need to spend and will struggle to get back.
A missing permit
The most avoidable of the three. If the goods are used or second-hand, or waste or scrap, an import permit is required — and no amount of arguing at the port substitutes for one. See whether you need to register as an importer.
Who actually carries it
The clearing agent does the paperwork. The importer carries the responsibility for what it says. This is the most commonly misunderstood point in South African importing.
Businesses appoint an agent and reasonably assume they have also transferred the risk. They have transferred the work. The entry is submitted on behalf of the importer of record, and it is the importer who answers for an under-declaration or a misclassification.
That is not an argument against using an agent — you should use one, and a good one is worth what they charge. It is an argument for briefing them properly, giving them accurate information, and reading the entry before it goes rather than after.
The clock does not stop for the dispute
Terminals allow a limited period of free time, counted in days. After that, storage and container charges accrue daily — and they accrue for every day spent producing a document, proving a value, or waiting for an inspection.
This is why a paperwork problem becomes a financial one so fast. The underlying issue might be a single missing document, but the cost is measured in how long it takes to produce it. On a small consignment, a delay of a couple of weeks can consume the entire margin on the shipment.
Rates differ by port and by terminal, and they change. Ask your clearing agent for the current tariff and how many free days you actually have before the vessel arrives — not while you are trying to solve something else.
How to not be here
- Declare the true transaction value, and keep proof of what you paid.
- Confirm the tariff code with your agent before you order.
- Establish whether the goods need a permit — new or used is the first question.
- Appoint the clearing agent before the goods sail, and brief them properly.
- Know your free time and the daily charge after it, so a delay is a decision rather than a surprise.
- Budget the real landed cost, so a short delay does not wipe out the deal. See what importing actually costs.
Frequently asked questions
- My supplier offered to put a lower value on the invoice. Should I let them?
- No. A declared value that looks too low is one of the most common reasons a shipment is queried, and the declaration is made in the importer's name. The saving is the supplier's gesture; the consequence is entirely yours.
- Is my clearing agent responsible if the declaration is wrong?
- The agent prepares and submits the entry, but the importer of record carries the responsibility for what is declared. Being able to say the agent did it is not a defence.
- What does it cost while goods are held?
- Free time at a terminal is measured in days rather than weeks. Once it runs out, storage and container charges accrue daily - including every day spent proving a value or producing a permit. Rates differ by port and terminal, so get the current tariff from your agent rather than assuming.
- How do I get goods released?
- Through your clearing agent, by providing the supporting documentation customs has asked for - the commercial evidence of what was paid, the correct classification, or the permit that was missing.
Next steps
Most of what is on this page is decided before the goods ship. Working through it once, in order, is the cheapest insurance in importing.