The Role and Importance of Customs Representation to the Old Customs Control System in the Republic of Bulgaria

Abstract

The complex nature of foreign trade operations and related customs formalities are some of the prerequisites giving rise to the need for customs representation to form part of the customs process. Such representation is a necessary part of international supply chains, as the requisite professional knowledge in the sphere of customs compliance serves to protect the interests of both the economic operators involved and the state represented by the customs administration. The services provided by the customs representatives facilitate the smooth passage of the consignments through the relevant customs formalities, lead to a reduction in the time for customs clearance and, through consultation, lead to increasing the wellbeing of the economic operators who trust them. At the same time, customs administrations generally have a trustworthy and predictable partner: the customs representative who understands the customs formalities and actively assists in fulfilling the tasks and objectives assigned to them. In the context of the Republic of Bulgaria, customs representatives play an important role in customs procedures and participate in a substantial part of import, export and transit operations.