Customs end of year support and FAQs

Friday, December 14, 2012

Contact Cargo Support

CI & SC information business hours:
Monday to Friday 06:00 to 21:00
Weekends 07:00 to 19:00

Best times to call
06:00 to 09:00
13:00 to 14:00
17:00 to 21:00

Christmas and New Year Opening Hours

The Customs Information & Support Centre (CI&SC) will be operating standard opening hours over the Christmas - New Year period.

Client Services (in all states) will be closed on weekends and on the following dates:

Tuesday 25 December 2012
Wednesday 26 December 2012
Monday 31 December 2012
Tuesday 1 January 2013.

Operations will return to normal as of Wednesday 2 January 2013.

If you have any urgent enquiries during the Christmas - New Year period please contact the CI&SC on 1300 558 099, or to request an urgent cargo clearance the Urgent Clearance line on 02 6275 6100.

Cargo Status

The most common question asked by industry is "What is the status of my cargo?"
Customs and Border Protection has produced two guides to assist users in understanding the status of their cargo within the ICS.

This is a PDF document Understanding cargo status conditions. (140KB) This Quick Reference Guide assists users in determining the various reasons that their cargo might not be cleared.

This is a PDF document Where do I find the status of my cargo? (516KB) A comprehensive document that provides information on the status of cargo within different ICS screens.

Email

cargosupport@customs.gov.au
Email is the primary method of contact for the Customs Information and Support Centre (CI&SC).

Please ensure that you include the following information in your email.

1. Australian Business Number (ABN) or Customs Client ID (CCID)
2. Your name, telephone number, email address and your role in the organisation
3. The details of your enquiry, e.g. your container number, airway bill number, import declaration number or export declaration number
4. Wherever possible, you should be logged into the Customs interactive.

Phone

1300 558 099

In the event that you need to phone the CI & SC, please ensure that you have the above information at the ready.

Digital certificate enquiries

Clients with enquiries that relate specifically to digital certificates need to do the following, to ensure that their queries are managed by the CI & SC in an efficient and timely manner.

Customs and Border Protection has developed a Digital Certificate Enquiry form, which should be completed by clients with questions that relate directly to their digital certificate/s.
Clients must also include screenshots relevant to their question.

Guides outlining which screenshots to provide, and how to create these screenshots are available below.
Providing the correct information to Customs and Border Protection will result in a timely response.

This is a PDF document Digital Certificate Enquiry form. (126KB)

This is a PDF document How to create a screenshot of an ICS logon error. (287KB)

Urgent cargo clearance

To request an urgent cargo clearance, the cargo must meet one of the following criteria:

  • Perishable goods will be damaged if subjected to delay; or;
  • Cargo requires immediate delivery (e.g. urgent medical supplies, hazardous materials and livestock); or
  • Cargo may miss it's carrier (export flights/vessels, truck booking system).

If your cargo meets one of the above criteria, phone 02 6275 6100.

Need more help?

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Feedback about this site

Feedback regarding this site is welcomed. Email your comments or suggestions to IndustryEngagement@customs.gov.au