Certificate of Origin

A certificate of origin is not required for the import clearance of textiles.

The country or territory of origin must be stated on the invoice for each invoice line. If the customs authorities doubt the correctness of the declared country or territory of origin they may request an additional proof which might be a certificate of origin.

The Certificate of Origin must meet the following requirements:

• Be in original form
• Contain shippers original signature
• Be issued by the Chamber of Commerce
• Contain a seal or watermark
• Contain a detailed description of the goods. General descriptions (for example, clothes and garments) are not acceptable.

The country or territory of origin is important if a C of O is required, not the country or territory of export. There are certain preferential agreements available. In this case, the exporter can provide an origin statement on the invoice or provide a separate preference (for example, EUR1 or Form A).

Photocopies of the Certificate of Origin,preferences or declaration of preferential origin are not accepted.

Declaration of Conformity

Declaration of Conformity (CE marking)
The European Community require certain standards on product safety for certain types of goods. The range of products covered by the directives must comply with the applicable directives when it is placed on the community market for the first time or put into use. Placing on the market in the meaning of the directives is the action of making a product available for the first time, either for payment or free of charge. 'Putting into service' takes place at the moment of first use within the Community by the end user (for example, produced for own use of the importer).

Range of products
The most important products are toys, in-vitro diagnostic medical devices, medical devices, machinery, low voltage equipment, safety devices (for example, helmets), exhaust systems and electromagnetic compatibility.For a full overview please see the EU website:

http://www.newapproach.org/Directives/DirectiveList.asp

Responsibilities
Manufacturers are defined as the persons responsible for designing and manufacturing products supposed to be placed on the EU market. The manufacturer has an obligation to ensure that a product intended to be placed on the Community market is designed and manufactured, and it's conformity assessed, to the essential requirements in accordance with the provisions of the directives. The manufacturer may appoint any natural or legal person, established in the European Union, to act on his behalf as an authorized representative.

The authorized representative may be addressed by the authorities of the member states in regard to the manufacturer's obligations.

The importer is defined as any legal or natural person responsible for placing products on the EU market. He is responsible to provide the market surveillance authority with the necessary information about the safety of the product and a copy of the Declaration of Conformity (DoC). If the manufacturer is established in the EU or has a so called authorized representative it is his obligation to provide the necessary information.

Conformity Assessment Procedure
Goods subject to the regulations on product safety need to be tested according to the rules applying for each group of products. Manufacturers have to draw up an EC declaration of conformity which is the first step of the conformity assessment procedure. The declaration of conformity has to include technical information containing the way of testing and the steps to be taken to obtain the attestation of conformity. The way of testing and steps to be taken depends on the type of product. If the testing was successful the producer is allowed to apply the so called 'CE sign' on the product or where this is not applicable (for example, surgical instruments) at the retail package or on a "Declaration of Conformity" certificate.

The "Declaration of Conformity" has to be issued by a notified body certified by a member state of the European Union.

Notified Body
A notified body is an organization certified by the national government to carry out the tasks of the conformity assessment procedures. They can offer their service to any economic operator inside and outside the European Community. They can carry out the tests or monitor the tests carried out by the manufacturer. They can carry out these activities inside the EU or on the territory of third countries or territories.

Information about notified bodies and notified bodies itself can be found on the EU website:

http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/newapproach/nando

For additional information, please also refer to "Product Safety".

Free Trade Agreements

Bilateral free trade agreements or unilateral autonomous preferential agreements allow the import clearance of certain products with a reduced duty rate or with a full duty exemption. The products benefiting from the preferential treatment must fulfil the necessary rules of originating in a country or territory covered by the preferential trade agreement.

An exporter who wants his products to benefit from the preferential treatment must be able to prove that his products fulfill the rules to be originating in a country or territory covered by the preferential trade agreement and they must provide a preferential document validated by the customs authorities or document with a valid preferential statement issued by themselves.

The preferential trade agreement foresees the following preferential proofs under CETA-see Miscellaneous.

Import License

Customs may require an import license for certain products from certain countries or territories, depending on the harmonized tariff code.

The importer must obtain the import license. An original export license from the exporter of the country or territory of origin might be necessary to obtain the import license.

The requirement of an import license is dependent on the country or territory of origin of the goods not the country or territory of export. For further detailed information it is highly recommended to contact your chamber of commerce.

Miscellaneous

The EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) is a trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and Canada. Under this agreement duty rates on traded goods can be reduced or eliminated.

All exporters of consignments of goods with a value greater than 6000 EUR to Canada must be registered in the Registered Exporters System (REX). If you register and are exporting consignments of goods with a value greater than 6000 EUR to Canada you can avail of preferences under CETA. To register you should register complete the EU exporters to Canada application form and send it to the Origin and Valuation Unit.

Exporters must use their REX number on the origin declaration to claim preference under CETA. If you are importing from Canada, you can qualify under CETA for preferences, but you do not have to register in REX.

The origin declaration, the text of which is given below, must be completed in accordance with the footnotes. However, the footnotes do not have to be reproduced.

(Period: from___________ to __________(1)) The exporter of the products covered by this document (customs authorization No ...(2)) declares that, except where otherwise clearly indicated, these products are of ...(3) preferential origin. ..(4) (Place and date) .(5) Signature and printed name of the exporter)__________________

(1) When the origin declaration is completed for multiple shipments of identical originating products within the meaning of Article 19.5, indicate the period of time for which the origin declaration will apply. The period of time must not exceed 12 months. All importations of the product must occur within the period indicated. Where a period of time is not applicable, the field can be left blank.

(2) For EU exporters: When the origin declaration is completed by an approved or registered exporter the exporter's customs authorization or registration number must be included. A customs authorization number is required only if the exporter is an approved exporter. When the origin declaration is not completed by an approved or registered exporter, the words in brackets must be omitted or the space left blank. For Canadian exporters: The exporter's Business Number assigned by the Government of Canada must be included. Where the exporter has not been assigned a business number, the field may be left blank.

(3) "Canada/EU" means products qualifying as originating under the rules of origin of the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement. When the origin declaration relates, in whole or in part, to products originating in Ceuta and Melilla, the exporter must clearly indicate the symbol "CM".

(4) These indications may be omitted if the information is contained on the document itself.

(5) Article 19.3 provides an exception to the requirement of the exporter's signature. Where the exporter is not required to sign, the exemption of signature also implies the exemption of the name of the signatory.

The European Commission provides detailed guidance on the rules of origin in the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA)

MSDS-NON DG

Goods under IATA Special Provisions A67 require a MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet).

It is not required for all, however shipments can be held by local authority in United Arab Emirates after screening due to lack of MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) or NON DG (Dangerous Goods) declaration letter from the shipper resulting to misconnections and impacting end-to-end service.

It would be advisable for all shipments originating, transiting and terminating for UAE to have MSDS or NON DG declaration from shipper enclosed in the shipment and copies to be uploaded in IDIS.

Product Safety

Market Surveillance

Market Surveillance is organized and performed at national level. Each member state of the EU (European Union) is responsible for surveillance activities on its territory. Customs authorities are usually part of the market surveillance activities.

On customs request the "Declaration of Conformity" has to be provided by the shipper, the manufacturer or his assigned representative in the EU or the importer.

Declaration of Conformity

The Declaration of Conformity (DoC) is a document in which the manufacturer, or his authorized representative within the EU, indicates that the product meets all the necessary requirements of the directives applicable for the specific product. The DoC shall contain the name and the address of the manufacturer along with information about the product (for example, brand and serial number). The DoC must be signed by an individual working for the manufacturer or his authorized representative.

On request the manufacturer or his authorized representative within the EU must provide the DoC. In case the manufacturer is not an EU entity and has no authorized representative the importer must be able to provide a copy of the DoC and additional proofs if requested.

National Requirements

For some commodities the conformity with the product safety regulations must be declared by the importer within the customs declaration. The DoC is required as a valid proof for the safety of the products and their compliance with the directives.

These commodities are everything with CE marking like:

• toys
• electronic equipment
• radio & telecommunication equipment
• medical devices
• sunglasses
• chemical substances
• measuring devices
• epressure equipment
• pyrotechnic articles

Toys are always inspected, others may have spot checks. If no CE marking is found and no other DoC can be provided, the shipments are RTS'd. Customs procedure time is up to 2 weeks.

No Information found on this topic for the selected country or territory.

Clearance Comments

Customs Declarations must be made within 20 days of the shipment arriving in Latvia. UPS automatically returns the shipment at the shippers expense if the declaration is not made by the deadline.

Duty and Taxes

Please note that not only the value(s) of the commodity/commodities have to be considered when calculating duty and tax, but also the freight charge and other fees.

Payment by Credit Card

Credit card payments are accepted upon delivery for freight and import charges by this destination. Contact UPS or the UPS service partner in the destination country or territory to determine which credit cards are accepted.

Restrictions may apply for freight collect shipments from the origin country or territory. Contact UPS or the UPS service partner in the origin country or territory prior to shipping.

Post Office Boxes

UPS cannot deliver to a P.O. Box address. All packages require a consignee's contact name and complete street address including apartment, suite or unit number if applicable. The consignee's telephone number should be provided if known.

Service is provided to and from every address in the country or territory.

UPS cannot deliver to a P.O. Box address. All packages require a consignee's contact name and complete street address including apartment, suite or unit number if applicable. The consignee's telephone number should be provided if known.

Rest Days:

Saturday, Sunday, and official holidays.

GMT:

Spring +0300/ Fall +0200

Language:

Latvian

Currency:

European Monetary Unit (Euro)(EUR)

Shipping Charges

• Shipping charges can be billed to the shipper, receiver or a third party.
• When billing the receiver, either the shipper or receiver's account number is required.
• When billing to a third party, the third party's name, country or territory and account number are required.

Duties and Taxes

• Duties and taxes can be billed to the shipper, receiver or a third party with exception of situation below. Free Domicile is not available for shipments containing alcohol. Shipments subject to excise tax have to be directly paid to Customs by the importer.
• When billing a third party, the third party's name, country or territory and account number are required.
• If the duties and taxes are billed to an account outside of the destination country or territory, a "Duty and Tax Forwarding" surcharge will be applied.

Third-Party Billing

• Please note the following third party billing exceptions:
  • Shipments to and from the same country or territory (domestic shipments) cannot be billed to third party payors in other countries or territories. For example, shipments from Mexico to Mexico or Canada to Canada cannot be billed to a third party payor in the U.S. This rule does not apply to UPS domestic services in European Union countries or territories. For example, shipments from Germany to Germany can be billed to a third party payor in the U.S. (as long as the payor is a business and has a VAT or Tax/EIN ID on file with UPS).

Payment Methods

• When paying by credit card, check, or cash, only the shipper can be billed the shipping charges

There are special stipulations on the following commodities when shipping to Latvia. If you plan to ship one of the commodities listed below, be sure to adhere to the following stipulations in order to avoid delays and holds at customs.

Animal Products

Products Of Animal Origin are goods which contain at least partly material derived from the body of an animal. These products can be divided in food or non-food.

Food means any substance, whether processed, semi-processed or raw, which is intended for human consumption, but does not include cosmetics or substances used only as pharmaceuticals.

Non-Food (not intended for human consumption) includes animal by-products, animal feed, samples for testing or research purposes (food-grade or non-food grade), and in vitro diagnostics (IVD).

Animal products and animal by-products are often subject to a veterinary inspection. These products can only be accepted under a special contract for International Special Commodities (ISC). In addition those products must undergo veterinary checks at an approved Veterinary Border Inspection Post (BIP) when entering the EU & EFTA countries or territories (EU regulations are aligned for EU countries or territories and NO; IS; CH; LI).

For UPS shipments arriving in the EU by air, Cologne is the first point of arrival /BIP. Inspections will be processed at Cologne but final customs clearance process will be issued in the destination country or territory.

Additional charges for Vet-inspection will be applicable see Brokerage Services and Charges.

Import requirements:

Generally, each type of Product of Animal Origin has specific import requirements that must be met. Food which is subject to veterinary inspections must:

Come from an EU listed Third Country or Territory (no safeguard measures in place)

Come from an EU approved establishment . Registered producers are listed under the following link: http://ec.europa.eu/food/international/trade/third_en.htm

Be accompanied by appropriate Health Certificate(s), signed by a veterinarian of the competent authority of country or territory of export. Photocopies of the Health Certificate will not be accepted.

Be appropriately packaged and labelled, indicating the nature, ingredients, quantity/ weight, the country or territory of origin and manufacturer.

Any foodstuff coming from non-approved establishments, sent as samples for testing purposes, can only be imported with a permit/license from a respective national veterinary authority. The permit/license must be send to the border inspection point responsible for the veterinary inspection. Delays may occur as the license needs to be provided already at the time of inspection.

Any non-compliant shipment must be returned at shippers expense immediately. The following exemptions apply to non-commercial shipments / gift shipments or purchased by private individuals for private consumption):

Meat, meat products, animal fat - max. 10 kg from Faroe Island and Greenland.

Fish and fish products (with intestines and organs removed) - max. 20 kg from all third countries or territories; no limitation from Faroe Islands.

Other animal products (for example, honey, egg, frog, live mussels - max. 10 kg from Faroe Islands and Greenland, and max. 2 kg from all other third countries or territories).

Drugs (also see Medicine)

Shipments of medicine for pharmaceutical companies or hospitals require an Import License from the Ministry of Health.

Medicine shipments to private individuals are prohibited.

Food

All food product shipments require a Sanitary/Veterinarian Certificate and Certificate of Quality (original). Shipments to private individuals have a value limit of US$20.00.

Based on the EU regulation 2009/669/EC certain foodstuffs (for example tea with origin China) imported from certain third countries or territories are subject to increased level of official controls due to contamination risks of these products by aflatoxinson and pathogens. These controls are carried out at Designated Point of Entries (DPE) defined by each member state.

The import of feed and food originating in or consigned from Japan following the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power station and not subject to vet inspection can only be imported into the EU through Designated Point of Entries (DPE). They must be accompanied by a declaration attesting that the goods are either harvested or processed before March 11, 2011, originated from a prefecture other than the ones affected by higher levels of radiation or if originated from an affected prefecture have been subjected to laboratory analysis determining the level of certain radionuclides (regulation 2011/297/EC).

The customs office responsible for our import sites are not defined as DPE. Commodities subject to import controls at a DPE can't be imported with UPS.

Honey

The European Union (EU) has placed an import ban on Honey from certain countries or territories.

Before shipping Honey to a European Union country or territory, it is highly recommended to contact your local chamber of commerce or your importer for detailed information.

If the importation is allowed by the European Union, the shipment must be accompanied by an original health certificate provided by the shipper/producer, otherwise, importation will not be possible. Furthermore, a vet inspection at the first point of arrival into the EU is required, even for sample shipments.

Brokerage accessorial charges will apply and an import delay may occur.

If the shipper fails to verify the import regulation of the destination country or territory and sends honey which is prohibited by the European Union, then all charges that may apply for the respective shipment will be billed back to the shipper.

Intercompany Data on CD-Rom/Disk

Data shipments to Latvia require an invoice with the value of the data and the value of the CD-ROM or disk.

Medicine (also see Drugs)

Shipments of medicine for pharmaceutical companies or hospitals require an Import Licence from the Ministry of Health. Medicine shipments to private individuals are prohibited.

Samples

Sample textile shipments valued greater than 22.00 Euros must be damaged or mutilated. The invoice must include an exact description of the samples, indicate that the goods are marked or mutilated and write "samples of no commercial value".

Shoes

In order to avoid wrong customs declarations at import, it is mandatory that the exporter provide very detailed information about the shoes (for example, what kind of leather, what material used for soles and uppers, what kind of shoes (sport shoes, sandals, boots), who is to wear the shoes (children, women, men).

Smoked Salmon

Shipments of smoked salmon requires a Certificate of Origin and a Sanitary Health Certificate.

Software

All software requires an invoice. The invoice must state the value of the media, software, or data.

Test Reagent

Most of modern test reagents for diagnostic research are built on antibodies which are generated from animal tissue. There are two types of antibodies, the monoclonal antibodies and polyclonal antibodies.

Monoclonal antibodies are generated in vitro. Tissue from animals are taken (e.g. blood) and infected with certain substances or pathogens. The blood cells react with the production of antibodies which are than harvested and used for the production of the test kits. Due to the in vitro production and the controlled way of production those types of test kits are not subject to veterinarian control if it is a commercial production.

Polyclonal antibodies are gained from living animals like rabbits. They are infected with the substances / pathogens and the animals are producing antibodies. The antibodies are harvested from the blood stream of the animals. Test reagents with polyclonal antibodies are subject to vet inspections.

Shipment documents (commercial invoice or declaration on letterhead) should include:

the place of origin of the material

the quantity of the material, in weight or volume

a description of the material/ animal source

catalogue number and price (if available)

additives (e.g., sodium azide, glycerol), their source (e.g., whole serum, supernatant, ascites), and purification, if any.

protocols the recommended protocol or datasheet indicating any unique fixation, detergent, blocking, or incubation conditions.

the intended use (commercial/ manufacturing; research/ testing)

the name and address of the shipper

the name and address of the receiver

Commercially packaged, ready-to-use In Vitro Diagnostics (IVD) containing products of animal of origin, do not require a Vet-inspection, if compliant with Directive 98/79/EC on In Vitro Diagnostic Medical Devices. A declaration of conformity (CE-marking) must be provided for each individual commodity (e.g. reagents, test kits, immunosorbent assays such as ELISA kits.

Textiles

A certificate of origin is not required for the import clearance of textiles. The need of a certificate of origin for the import clearance was reversed on October 24, 2011.

The country or territory of origin must be stated on the invoice for each invoice line. If the customs authorities doubt the correctness of the declared country or territory of origin they may request an additional proof which might be a certificate of origin.

The country or territory of origin is important if a C of O is required, not the country or territory of export. There are certain preferential agreements available. In this case, the exporter can provide an origin statement on the invoice or provide a separate preference (for example EUR1 or Form A).

Photocopies of the Certificate of Origin, preferences or declaration of preferential origin are not accepted.

USB Sticks

Data shipments require an invoice with the character of the USB stick (storing intercompany data) and the value of the USB Stick.

Vitamins

Shipments of vitamins for pharmaceutical companies or hospitals require an Import Licence from the Ministry of Health. Vitamin shipments to private individuals are prohibited.

Shipment value amount:

45.00 European Monetary Unit (Euro) EUR

Shipment type:

individual-to-individual

Exemption rule:

per person

Invoice

Non-document shipments to Latvia must include 1 original and 2 copies of an invoice.

Where Incoterms applied, this should include the city shipped to, for example DDP Riga where shipped Free Domicile. This will help to avoid clearance delays.

Shipments of documents do not require an invoice.

The consignee's telephone number is required on the invoice for shipments to private individuals with a value above 22.00 EUR.

The consignee's mobile number and e-mail address should also appear on the invoice if available as well as the reason for importing into Latvia.

The invoice cannot state a zero value for the shipment.

If the shipper has discounted UPS freight rates, it is recommended to list the Incoterm and the discounted freight amount on the invoice in order to avoid wrong calculation of the import charges in Latvia.

Unacceptable Data Entries

Europe customs authorities have started to inspect shipments on Import Control System (I.C.S.).

Many of the inspected shipments were obviously selected because of the inadequate description of the goods.

This is a reminder that shipments to all European Union member states, Norway and Switzerland, must have a correctly keyed description of the goods on the invoice (for example):

Unacceptable	Acceptable
Apparel	Men's Shirts, Lingerie, Girls' Vests, Boys', Jackets
Auto Parts	Automobile Brakes, Windshield Glass for Automobiles
Electronics	Computers, televisions, CD Players, Walkmans, Tape Recorders, Mobile phones, Monitors, Printers
Gifts	Dolls, Remote Control Cars Household goods Plates, Dishes, Tableware

A list has been published in the 'Guidelines on acceptable and unacceptable terms for the description of goods for exit and entry summary declarations':

http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/resources/documents/customs/policy_issues/customs_security/
acceptable_goods_description_guidelines_en.pdf

Paperless Invoice - Exports

UPS Paperless Invoice is available for small package exports from this country or territory.

Paperless Invoice - Imports

UPS Paperless Invoice is accepted by Customs for small package imports into this country or territory.

The destination country or territory considers the following items document shipments. If criteria are listed, the shipment must meet the criteria to be considered a document shipment.

Airline Tickets

Validated airline tickets only

Annual Reports

Only for shareholders or for inter-company use

Bids

Blueprints

Only blueprints of no commercial value for a bid invitation, for example, architectural plans to obtain a contract inside the E.U. or for intercompany use.

Brochures

Non-commercial brochures or brochures for inter-company use only

Business Cards

Document limit 1 to 15 business cards.

Checks

Personalized checks only

Credit Cards

Personalized credit cards to card owner only

Diplomas

Drivers License

Event Tickets

Tickets for events like stage performances, football matches or concerts can be sent as documents.

Event tickets coming from a printing company and sent to the organizer of the event or ticket sales offices cannot be sent as documents.

Examination Papers

Gift Cards

Greeting Cards, Invitations

Documents: personalized
Non-documents: not personalized; requires invoice

Manuals (Technical)

Document: the number must be proportional to the purpose

Negatives

Documents: negatives, slides, and printing films sent to press or publishing agencies
Non-documents: shipments where the value includes press or editorial charges; requires an invoice

Newsletters (Company)

Document: inter-company shipments for inter-company use with no commercial value
Non-document: shipments from a publisher or printing company

Newspapers

Non-commercial purposes

Stationery

Personalized stationery with no commercial value
Note: the quantity must be proportional to the non-commercial use

Stationery (Blank)

Traveler's Checks

Must be personalized to be considered documents.

Visa Applications

UPS can recommend which forms you need based on a few simple criteria. Forms can be completed online or printed. See which forms you need.

In addition to the prohibited commodities listed here, it is prohibited to ship the following commodities to Latvia.

CITES Shipments

Endangered plants and animals protected by the multilateral treaty of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), must be accompanied by a valid CITES Certificate.

All import, export, re-export and introduction from the sea of species covered by the Convention has to be authorized through a licensing system.

Shipper needs to provide the following documentation:

Invoice with the scientific name and CITES certificate.

Additional charges will be applicable. Products of animals or plants subject to CITES can only be accepted under a special contract for International Special Commodities (ISC).

Personal Effects

Personal effects cannot be shipped between these countries or territories.

Plastic Kitchenware

The European Union (EU) has implemented specific conditions and detailed procedures for the import of plastic kitchenware (HS-Code 3924 1000 11) made of polyamide and melamine and originated in or consigned from China or Hong Kong (regulation 284/2011). Tableware (for example, plates, flatware, cups) are excluded from the restrictions. The reason for the new regulation were notifications and alerts by the European 'Rapid Alert System'- kitchen tableware was recognized which exceed the thresholds of aromatic amines and formaldehyde released into food.

Based on the regulation, controls must be performed at the point of introduction into the EU by the competent authorities. They include documentary checks on all consignments and identity or physical checks (including laboratory checks) on 10% of the consignments. All consignments of kitchen tableware (HS code 3924 1000) originated or consigned from China or Hong Kong must be accompanied by a declaration confirming that it meets the requirements concerning the release of primary aromatic amines and formaldehyde. The declaration shall be accompanied by a laboratory report that the consignments fulfill the requirements.

The goods and declaration must be examined at the first point of introduction into the EU.

The consignments shall be notified at the first point of introduction at least two working days in advance.

Our main points of entry (Cologne, Germany and East Midlands, United Kingdom) are not competent to perform the checks and forwarding under bond is prohibited without the checks. Products covered by the new regulation and destined to the EU can't be accepted by UPS. Exporters should clearly state on the invoice the material and the country or territory of origin of plastic kitchenware to avoid holds on commodities not subject to the regulation.

Saturday Delivery Available: No

Always check Calculate Time and Cost for details of service availability and guarantee information within a country or territory. All Service Levels may not be available to or from every address within a country or territory.

Canada to Latvia

• UPS Worldwide Expedited

• UPS Worldwide Express

• UPS Worldwide Express Saver

• WorldWide Economy DDP

Embassy or Diplomatic

The Embassy must provide a special Customs clearance form.
"Diplomatic Goods" must be shown on the invoice to expedite Customs clearance.
Duties or taxes will not be charged for diplomatic shipments.
Delay in Customs is from 2 to 3 days.

Government (Non-Military)

The invoice must state "Government Shipment" for faster Customs clearance. Normally, duty or taxes will not apply. Delay in Customs is from 2 to 3 days.

Other Shipment Types

Wood Pallets

Imported goods from non EU countries on wood pallets and in wood packaging.

The wood pallets and wood packaging must be marked in a visible location on each article, preferably on at least two opposite sides of the article, with a legible and permanent mark that indicates that the article meets the requirements of this paragraph. The currently approved format for the mark is as follows, where XX would be replaced by the country or territory code, 000 by the producer number, and YY by the treatment type (HT or MB).

Private Shipments

Shipments to private persons must be customs cleared by the importer himself. UPS cannot act on behalf of the private importer. Even if the shipment is sent "free domicile" and the shipper has to pay the import dues, customs clearance remains the importer's responsibility.

Repaired Goods

Customs requires an Export Declaration and Proforma Invoice from the original shipper to clear a shipment.
The invoice must include the value of the commodity before repair and the cost of the repair.
The Proforma Invoice must list the type of repair (for example, warranty repair or repair against costs).
Delay in Customs is from 1 to 2 days.

Returned Goods

Customs requires an Export Declaration and invoice from the original shipper to clear a shipment.
The invoice must indicate the country or territory of origin and the reason for return.
Delay in Customs is from 1 to 2 days.

Solid Wood Packing Material

On March 1, 2005 the European Union (EU) implemented new worldwide requirements for hardwood and softwood raw wood packaging material (WPM) which is used in the packing of shipments that are imported into the EU member states. (EU Commission Directive 2004/102/EC of October 5, 2004).

Their actions were based on a need to protect European forests from two destructive pests, the Asian Longhorn beetle and the Pine Wood Nematode. The requirements that have been implemented are based on the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM) 15, which is entitled "Guidelines for Regulating Wood Packaging Material in International Trade". ISPM 15 was adopted internationally in 2002, and is gradually being introduced by countries or territories worldwide.

Wood or wood products covered by ISPM 15 include items such as packing cases, boxes, crates, drums or similar packing, pallets, box pallets and other load boards, pallet collars and skids, but exclude such processed woods as orientated strand board, particle board, plywood or veneer, created using glue, heat and pressure or a combinations thereof, and, raw wood which is 6mm or less thick. It is recommended that if a question arises on this issue, please check with the authority that issues the phytosanitary certificates in your country or territory.

Temporary Import

Temporary imports into Latvia require the following:

Shipper's invoice that states a temporary import will occur

A serial number to accompany the shipment

If this is not supplied, identity cannot be certified and the shipment cannot achieve temporary import status.

WEEE and RoHS

The European Union implemented a directive restricting the use of certain hazardous substances in all Electronic & Electrical Equipment effective July 1, 2006. This directive is called the RoHS Directive (2005/618/EC), which stands for the Restriction of the use of certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment.

The RoHS directive is closely linked with the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE) 2002/96/EC which sets collection, recycling and recovery targets for electrical goods.

These directives will ban the placing on the EU market of new electrical and electronic equipment containing more than agreed levels of lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) (PBB and PBDE are flame retardants used in some plastics).

Manufacturers (and distributors and individual sellers) will need to understand the requirements of the RoHS/WEEE Directives to ensure that their products, and their components, comply. Goods falling under these categories do not require any accompanying documentation for importation.

For more information on the EU directives, please check the following European Union web link or contact your local chamber of commerce: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/pdf/faq_weee.pdf

Import value limits to Latvia

Deminimis Value

Private Shipments

Packages with a value above 10 Euros (but less than 150 Euros)-the consignee (private & companies) will pay VAT at 21%.

Duty - In most cases, when the value of the shipment is equal to or less than the Deminimis Value, the shipment may enter the country or territory duty free but tax is raised.

This regulation does not apply to alcoholic beverages, tobacco and perfume.

Packages with a value above 10 Euros (but less than 150 Euros]-the consignee (private & companies) will pay VAT at 21%.

Duty - In most cases, when the value of the shipment is equal to or less than the Deminimis Value, the shipment may enter the country or territory duty free but tax is raised.

This regulation does not apply to alcoholic beverages, tobacco and perfume.

Maximum weight:

70 kg (150 lbs.) per package

Maximum length:

274.00 cm (107.9 in.)  per package

Maximum dimensions:

400.00 cm (157.5 in.)  per package

Length and girth combined

Convert metric quantity for weight, length, and area.