Stop Getting Stuck at the Border

The Daily Nightmare: The High Cost of a Typo

Global trade runs on paper. Specifically, the Commercial Invoice and the HS Code (Harmonized System Code). These 6-10 digit numbers tell customs exactly what is in your container.

Imagine this: You are shipping a container of “Boy’s Cotton T-Shirts” to France. Your supplier in Vietnam types the code 6205.20 into the spreadsheet. That code is for “Men’s or Boys’ Shirts.” But France has a specific quota on Men’s shirts this month.

The container arrives at Le Havre. The Customs Agent sees the code. He flags it.

The Hold: Your container is pulled for physical inspection.
The Wait: It sits in the inspection yard for 21 days.
The Fine: You pay “Demurrage” (storage fees) of $300/day. That’s $6,300 in fines.
The Miss: You miss the “Back to School” sales window.

All because of one digit.

The Typo Trap

Humans make typos. Spreadsheets are copy-pasted from old templates. But the border doesn’t care about “honest mistakes.” A typo looks like fraud to a customs agent.

flowchart TD
    Data["Spreadsheet Typo"] -->| Wrong HS Code | Docs["Customs Filing"]
    Docs -->| Mismatch | Customs["Border Agent Inspection"]
    Customs -->| 21 Day Hold | Port["Container Sits"]
    Port -->| $300/Day | Fees["Demurrage Fees"]
    Fees -->| Late Delivery | Business["Sales Lost"]
    
    style Customs fill:#ff9999,stroke:#333

The Solution: A Proofreader That Knows The Law

The Runink Compliance Agent reads every line of your commercial invoice and double-checks it against the latest global tariff data. It acts as a “Digital Broker.”

It catches the typo before the paperwork leaves your desk.

How It Works: The “Customs Broker” Logic

The agent connects to your ERP (for product data) and the Global Tariff Database (for rules).

1. It Reads the Invoice

The agent ingests your PDF Commercial Invoice, Packing List, or ASN (Advanced Shipping Notice).

Product Description: “Boys printed t-shirt, 100% cotton.”
Declared Code: 6205.20
Destination: France.

2. It Finds the Error

It cross-references the description against the code and the destination rules.

Logic Check: “Classification Error. Code 6205 is generic. For France, ‘Boys Cotton’ requires specific code 6207.91.”
Rule Check: “Alert: France requires a ‘Certificate of Origin’ for cotton goods this month. Document is missing.”

3. It Fixes the Paperwork

The agent doesn’t just complain; it cleans.

Auto-Correct: It updates the digital manifest with the correct 6207.91 code.
Flags the Supplier: “Supplier X keeps using the wrong code. I sent them a correction notice template.”
Submits: It hands off the “Clean Data” to your Customs Broker.

flowchart LR
    Invoice["Read Invoice"] --> Check{"Check Tariff Book"}
    Check -->|Wrong Class| Fix["Auto-Correct Code"]
    Check -->|Missing Doc| Alert["Request Origin Cert"]
    Check -->|Clean| File["Submit to Customs"]
    File -->|Perfect Docs| Clear["Instant Clearance"]
    
    style Fix fill:#99ff99,stroke:#333
    style Clear fill:#99ff99,stroke:#333

“Oh, I Haven’t Thought of That…”

“Can the AI go to jail for me?” You verify the changes. The agent acts as a “Junior Broker” that prepares the file. You (or your Licensed Customs Broker) hit the final “Submit” button. But now, you’re submitting data that has been triple-checked.

“What about complex items?” If the agent isn’t 99% sure (e.g., a complex electronic part that could be a “Toy” or a “Computer”), it flags it for human review: “Ambiguous Classification. Please review.”

“Does it handle multiple countries?” Yes. It knows the difference between specific US, EU, and UK tariff schedules. It adjusts the code based on the destination.

The Bottom Line

Compliance isn’t about paperwork. It’s about speed.

Zero Demurrage: Stop paying rent for containers sitting at the port.
Faster Cash Cycle: Goods get to the warehouse weeks earlier.
Clean Record: Stay off the Customs “Watch List.” When you file perfect paperwork every time, your containers get the “Green Lane.”