# Customs Compliance Maturity Self-Assessment > Source: https://netray.co/tools/customs-compliance-maturity-assessment > Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems. > Section: Free Tools ## Short answer A quick 10 question self-check of how well your import and export compliance processes are controlled, with a score and next steps. ## Category compliance-legal ## Audience - Logistics coordinator - Customs compliance - Supply chain manager ## Tool **Kind:** assessment **Questions:** #### How are tariff classifications assigned and reviewed? **Options:** ##### Whoever ships the item picks a code, no review **Score:** 0 ##### Codes come from suppliers or the broker without checks **Score:** 1 ##### Codes are stored on the item master and reviewed occasionally **Score:** 2 ##### Codes are assigned with documented reasoning, reviewed on a schedule and when the tariff changes **Score:** 3 #### How do you determine customs value for imports? **Options:** ##### We use the invoice amount as is **Score:** 0 ##### We add freight when the broker asks **Score:** 1 ##### We follow a written procedure for adding freight, assists, royalties and commissions **Score:** 2 ##### Written procedure plus periodic checks of related party pricing and post-entry adjustments **Score:** 3 #### How is country of origin determined and recorded? **Options:** ##### Not recorded **Score:** 0 ##### Taken from the supplier's address **Score:** 1 ##### Recorded per item with supplier declarations **Score:** 2 ##### Recorded per item, verified against bill of materials and supplier declarations on a schedule **Score:** 3 #### How do you screen customers, suppliers and end users against restricted party lists? **Options:** ##### We do not screen **Score:** 0 ##### Manual search when someone remembers **Score:** 1 ##### Screened at onboarding only **Score:** 2 ##### Automated screening at onboarding and at order or shipment release, with logged results **Score:** 3 #### How do you control export classification and licensing? **Options:** ##### We have not classified our products **Score:** 0 ##### Some products classified, no formal record **Score:** 1 ##### Products classified and a licence check happens for known controlled items **Score:** 2 ##### All items classified, licence determination documented per shipment, and reviewed regularly **Score:** 3 #### How do you oversee your customs broker or forwarder? **Options:** ##### We trust them fully **Score:** 0 ##### We check complaints only **Score:** 1 ##### We review entries or invoices occasionally **Score:** 2 ##### Written instructions, power of attorney scope defined, and regular sampling of entries **Score:** 3 #### How do you keep import and export records? **Options:** ##### Paper and email, no standard place **Score:** 0 ##### Different folders per person **Score:** 1 ##### Central storage by shipment **Score:** 2 ##### Central, searchable, linked to ERP documents and retained for the legal period **Score:** 3 #### How consistent are the invoice, packing list and transport documents? **Options:** ##### They are made by hand and often differ **Score:** 0 ##### Made in separate tools, checked by eye **Score:** 1 ##### Generated from ERP data with spot checks **Score:** 2 ##### Generated from one source with automatic cross-checks before release **Score:** 3 #### How do you train staff who touch shipping and customs data? **Options:** ##### No training **Score:** 0 ##### On-the-job only **Score:** 1 ##### Training at hiring and when rules change **Score:** 2 ##### Role based training, written procedures and annual refreshers **Score:** 3 #### How do you respond to a customs query, audit or error? **Options:** ##### Ad hoc, we react when told **Score:** 0 ##### We fix the entry and move on **Score:** 1 ##### We investigate and correct, sometimes recording the cause **Score:** 2 ##### Root cause analysis, documented corrective action and voluntary disclosure where appropriate **Score:** 3 **Bands:** #### Reactive **Min:** 0 **Max:** 30 **Verdict:** Compliance depends on individuals and luck. Errors are likely to go unnoticed until customs or a customer finds them. **Recommendations:** - Name one owner for trade compliance. - Start with restricted party screening and export classification. - Store tariff and origin data on the item master. #### Developing **Min:** 31 **Max:** 55 **Verdict:** Some controls exist but they are inconsistent, and evidence is thin. A customs audit would find gaps. **Recommendations:** - Write short procedures for classification, valuation and record keeping. - Add a release check on screening and document consistency. - Review your broker's work on a sample basis. #### Controlled **Min:** 56 **Max:** 80 **Verdict:** You have repeatable processes. The remaining work is automation, evidence and regular review. **Recommendations:** - Automate cross-checks between ERP documents. - Schedule annual classification and origin reviews. - Run an internal mock audit on a recent set of entries. #### Managed **Min:** 81 **Max:** 100 **Verdict:** Controls are documented, tested and tied to your ERP. Keep them current as rules, products and partners change. **Recommendations:** - Track compliance metrics such as holds, corrections and screening hits. - Test the process when you add a new country or product. - Keep training and procedures aligned with regulatory changes. ## Content **Intro:** Customs compliance is rarely one big failure: it is a set of small gaps in classification, valuation, origin, screening and records. This ten question self-assessment shows where your process stands and what to tighten first. **Sections:** #### How to use the assessment **Body:** Answer each question as your process works today, not as the policy says it should. If different departments behave differently, choose the weaker answer. The score is the percentage of the maximum, mapped to four bands. Use the result to decide your next quarter's work and run it again after changes. Ideally, ask a colleague from logistics and one from finance to answer separately and compare their results. #### What each area covers **Body:** Classification decides duty rates and controls. Valuation decides how much duty is paid and is a common audit focus, especially for related party transactions and for items such as assists and royalties. Origin supports preferential rates and marking rules. Screening and export classification protect the company from shipping to restricted parties or without a needed licence. Broker oversight matters because the importer remains accountable in most jurisdictions even when a broker files the entry. **Bullets:** - Classification and valuation drive duty accuracy. - Screening and licensing drive legal exposure. - Records prove that you did what you say you did. #### Limits of a self-assessment **Body:** This tool is a prompt for discussion. It does not test your actual entries, it does not know your jurisdiction and it is not legal advice. A high score with no evidence behind it is not compliance. For regulated products, licensing regimes or authorised economic operator style programs, work with a qualified customs adviser who can review real transactions. **Cta:** If gaps point to missing validation in your ERP, such as screening at delivery release or document cross-checks, Netray can help design human-approved controls inside your existing system. **Faq:** #### Is the importer or the broker responsible for customs errors? **Answer:** In most countries the importer of record remains legally responsible for the accuracy of the declaration, even when a customs broker files it. The broker may share liability, but you cannot assume it takes all of it. Oversight and clear written instructions are essential. #### What is customs valuation based on? **Answer:** Under the WTO Customs Valuation Agreement the primary method is the transaction value: the price actually paid or payable, adjusted for certain additions such as assists, royalties, commissions and, in many countries, transport and insurance to the border. #### How often should classification be reviewed? **Answer:** At least when the HS edition changes (about every five years), when a product design changes materially, and on a regular internal schedule for high value or high duty items. Also review when a customs authority raises a query on similar goods. #### Does a high score mean we are compliant? **Answer:** No. The score reflects reported process maturity, not proof of correct entries. Test a sample of real shipments, check the evidence, and consider an external review for complex products, licensing needs or large duty exposure. ## Search terms customs compliance assessment, import export compliance self audit, customs compliance checklist, trade compliance maturity, customs audit readiness, customs valuation controls, broker oversight, trade compliance program --- Talk to an engineer: https://netray.co/contact?intent=erp_ai | Machine catalog: https://netray.co/agent/catalog.json