“Fast Customs Clearance for Essential Goods and Raw Materials” Korea Customs Service’s Special Chuseok Support Measures

The Korea Customs Service announced on the 2nd that it will implement special support measures from the 2nd to the 18th of this month to ensure the smooth supply of essential goods during the Chuseok holiday and to reduce the financial burden on export companies.

The support measures focus on ▲ expedited customs clearance for Chuseok essential goods, urgent raw materials, and overseas direct purchase express shipments ▲ timely shipment support for export cargo ▲ rapid customs refunds ▲ disclosure of import prices for agricultural, livestock, and marine products.

According to the support measures, from the 2nd to the 18th, 34 customs offices nationwide will operate a ‘24-hour Special Customs Clearance Support Team’ to ensure that holiday essential goods and raw materials are supplied smoothly without customs clearance delays during holidays and nighttime.

Additionally, separate ‘Express Shipment Special Customs Clearance Support Teams’ will be organized and operated at Incheon Airport, Incheon Customs, and Pyeongtaek Customs to prepare for the expected surge in overseas direct purchase shipments such as holiday gifts.

The special customs refund support will be provided from the 2nd to the 13th to alleviate the financial burden on export companies.

During this period, when export companies apply for a refund, customs will, in principle, pay the refund on the same day. However, refund applications received after the bank closing time (4 p.m.) will be processed so that the refund payment is completed by the next morning.

Refund reviews will be conducted sequentially starting from the 19th after the holiday, after the refund payments have been made first, and the submission of documents for refund reviews will be minimized.

Before the Chuseok holiday, the Korea Customs Service will disclose import prices of agricultural, livestock, and marine products three times: on the 29th of last month, and on the 5th and 12th of this month.

The disclosed items include import prices of 86 major agricultural, livestock, and marine products whose consumption typically increases around Chuseok, such as early-season cabbages, beef ribs, sesame seeds, perilla seeds, soybean paste, red pepper powder, soy sauce, and octopus.