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Transit

If you are intending to transport goods from one international border to another through the territory of Malawi you must declare the goods to Customs by following the Transit Procedure.

Transit Procedure

  • A consignment arrives at the border.
  • The Owner / Importer of the goods might have a Clearing Agent or not.
     
  • If not, the Owners of the goods or their Representatives, identifies the agent at the border.
     
  • A formal application is made to Customs by the appointed or preferred Agent to be allowed to move goods in transit to a specified destination or Border.
     
  • Attached to the application form are the Commercial Invoice or Contract of Sale; Bill of Lading or Transport Waybill; Manifest.
     
  • Once the approval is granted, the agent makes a Declaration on Form 12 and captures it in Customs operating system (ASYCUDA).
     
  • The declaration is submitted to customs office after payment of processing fees is done at Bank’s Cashier or Custom’s Cashier which is equivalent to K10, 000.00.
     
  • The declaration is processed and finalized by customs to allow movement of goods in transit under the Customs Clearing Agent’s Bond to the destination, which happens to be a Customs Controlled Area (Temporary Store or Bonded Warehouse).
     
  • The Goods / Consignment can be subjected to either physical Inspection or not by Customs Officials to ascertain the declaration or not, depending on how risky is the Commodity, Importer or Mode of transport used. 
     
  • If the consignment is a containerized cargo, a Customs Seal is put on the container, so that it is not tampered with until it reaches its final destination.
     
  • If the shipment is deemed to be more risky, often times it is allowed to proceed or transit through the country under Customs Escort to ensure that they exit and that goods are not consumed in Malawi and an Escort Fee of K7, 000.00 is charged per Customs Officer escorting the goods per night.
     
  • Upon reaching the border, the transit documents are presented to Customs officials, the consignment is inspected to verify if the seals, which were put at the source, are intact.
     
  • If everything is in order the transit is acquitted in the system (ASYCUDA) and allowed to proceed out to the importing country’s border.

 Clearing Agents' Fees

Clearing agency fee is not regulated by Customs and hence the charges differ from agency to agency or Company to Company. There is no standard charge as of now.

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