FAQs

Yes, if you don't have a registered legal entity in the destination country. The IOR is the legally registered importer on the customs declaration, required regardless of whether the goods are controlled. Controlled goods add layers (licensing, classification, restricted-party screening); non-controlled goods still need the registered entity to clear customs.

Yes. A customs broker files declarations on behalf of an importer; they are not the importer themselves. The customs authority requires a registered legal entity as the named importer on the declaration. If your company has no local entity in the destination, the broker cannot fill that role. IOR Service is the registered importer; a broker can still file alongside us if your engagement requires it.

Yes. A freight forwarder moves the goods and may coordinate customs filings, but they are not the legal importer on the declaration. The importer is the registered party that bears legal accountability for duties, classification, and compliance. Freight and import-of-record are two different functions. IOR Service handles the importer role; your freight forwarder continues to handle the freight.

Yes — every origin country has its own export framework. EOR services apply wherever you export goods from a jurisdiction in which you have no local exporting entity, or wherever your goods trigger export controls, dual-use classification, or licensing requirements. The US framework (EAR, ITAR, OFAC) is well-known; EU, UK, Japan, Singapore, and others operate parallel export-control regimes.

The shipment will not clear customs. Goods can be held at the port, returned to the origin, or seized, depending on the jurisdiction and the goods category. Penalties may follow — including fines, loss of import privileges, and post-clearance liability. The customs authority will not release goods to an unregistered party. An IOR is not optional; it is structural to the legal import.

Yes. Each country requires a registered local entity with customs standing in that jurisdiction. There is no global IOR license. IOR Service holds in-country compliance entities across 170+ markets — meaning the engagement covers every destination under one brand, but the legal registration is country-by-country.

Yes, if you have a registered legal entity in the destination country with valid customs registration, tax identification, and sufficient legal and financial standing to bear duty payment and compliance obligations. For most companies expanding into multiple markets, establishing local entities in each country is operationally and legally prohibitive. A third-party IOR, like IOR Service, replaces the need to set up local entities.

Because IOR work is not a fixed activity. Pricing depends on the complexity of the origin and destination countries, product category, regulatory framework, shipment volume, and value-added scope. A fixed price either over-charges simple shipments or under-charges complex ones. We disclose the pricing structure transparently — specific numbers are provided per quote, per shipment, and per market.

Three things. First, accurate classification — the HS code, the ECCN, the sector-specific tariff. Second, complete documentation — invoices, certificates of origin, conformity certificates, country-specific filings. Third, restricted-party screening before every shipment. When IOR Service acts as your registered importer or exporter, we operate all three by status, and the legal accountability sits with us.

The framework typically returns within one business day of receiving your brief. Operational setup — registering the engagement, confirming in-country entity standing, preparing documentation — runs in parallel with your shipment timeline. For markets where IOR Service is already registered (all 170+), no entity setup is required. For unusual jurisdictions outside our standard coverage, we will tell you directly.

YYes. Dual-use classification is part of the standard EOR scope — items on the EU Dual-Use Regulation list, US Commerce Control List (CCL) under EAR, and equivalent national schedules. We classify the product, apply for any required dual-use export license, and screen the transaction against restricted-party lists. ITAR-controlled items operate under a separate registration that we also hold.

Yes. Delivered Duty Paid means the seller bears responsibility for export, freight, duties, and import clearance to the named destination. IOR Service handles the import-of-record and duty payment under DDP terms; GCE Logistics handles the freight. The buyer receives the goods cleared at their location with no compliance work on their side.

Yes. Third-country drop-shipment is a common EOR-and-IOR scenario — a manufacturer in one country ships to a customer in a second country from a stocking location in a third. IOR Service registers as the EOR in the origin country and as the IOR in the destination, holding both legal roles under one engagement.