Tema Port, Takoradi and Kotoka AirportMonday to Friday, 08:00 to 17:00
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Customs and trade consultancy

Independent, paid advice for importers, exporters and investors who need customs decisions made correctly: classification, valuation, duty, exemptions, permits and supply-chain strategy in Ghana.

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At a glance

Format
Tema office, on-site or video
Fees
Fixed, agreed in writing first
First step
Free 15-minute scoping call
Confidentiality
NDA on request

The short answer

7AS Trust's consultancy is a paid advisory service for decisions that affect many shipments: how goods are classified and valued, how to reduce duty lawfully, which exemptions and permits apply, and how to structure imports through Ghana. Every engagement has a written scope and fixed fee, is delivered by practising customs professionals, and ends with a deliverable you keep.

Why businesses bring us in

Most customs cost is decided long before a ship arrives: when a product is classified, when supplier terms are agreed, when a new source country is chosen. Get those decisions wrong and every shipment carries the error, until a post-clearance audit or a valuation query turns it into back-duty and penalties. Get them right and duty is predictable, permits are in place and clearance is routine.

Our advisors clear cargo through ICUMS every week. That means our advice reflects how GRA Customs actually assesses goods today, under the 2026 VAT regime, not how a textbook says it should.

When consultancy makes sense

  • You are launching a new product or sourcing from a new country
  • Your classification or duty rate is being questioned, or varies between shipments
  • You hold, or want, an exemption, Free Zone licence or investment incentive
  • A post-clearance audit is coming, or you want to be ready for one
  • Duty and port costs are eating margin and you need a lawful plan to reduce them
  • You are a foreign company planning your first import into Ghana
Areas of advice

What we advise on

Eight areas where an expert view changes the outcome. Each ends in a concrete deliverable.

Customs compliance health check

A structured review of past entries for classification, valuation, origin, permits and exemption use, before Customs finds the gaps.

You receive: Risk-rated findings report

HS classification and advance rulings

Classification opinions for new or disputed products, and preparation of GRA advance ruling applications on classification and origin.

You receive: Written opinion or filed application

Valuation and duty planning

Lawful ways to manage duty: correct customs value, related-party pricing, Incoterm choice and timing, with every option documented.

You receive: Duty model and recommendations

Exemptions and incentives

Eligibility and process for Free Zone, investment, mining, petroleum and project reliefs, and compliance once they are granted.

You receive: Eligibility memo and filing roadmap

Import strategy and landed cost

Supplier terms, routing via Tema, Takoradi or Kotoka, consolidation and free-day negotiation, modelled to a true landed cost.

You receive: Landed-cost model and playbook

Regulatory permits roadmap

Which FDA, GSA, EPA and ministry approvals your product range needs, in what order, and how long each takes.

You receive: Permit matrix and timeline

Sahel transit and regional trade

Setting up transit to Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, and using ECOWAS and AfCFTA rules of origin to cut duty for buyers.

You receive: Corridor and origin plan

Market entry for foreign companies

What a company new to Ghana needs before its first shipment: registration, importer set-up, permits, partners and budget.

You receive: Market-entry briefing pack

Engagements

Choose how we work together

Clear scope, a fixed fee agreed in writing before work starts, and a deliverable at the end. Fees are subject to VAT, NHIL and GETFund where applicable.

Advisory session

One specific question answered properly

  • 90-minute working session with a senior practitioner
  • Review of documents you send in advance
  • Written summary and next steps within 2 business days
  • In person in Tema, on video, or by phone
Fee
Billed per session, quoted when you book
Typical duration
1 to 3 days
Enquire about this
Most requested

Compliance health check

Importers who want certainty before an audit

  • Sample review of recent entries against HS, value, origin and permits
  • Exemption and relief usage check
  • Interviews with your logistics and finance team
  • Risk-rated report with prioritised fixes and a debrief
Fee
Fixed project fee, agreed after scoping
Typical duration
2 to 4 weeks
Enquire about this

Import strategy and duty model

Businesses planning growth, a new product line or a new source country

  • Supply chain and Incoterms review
  • Routing and port options compared
  • Landed-cost and duty model you keep
  • Implementation plan and a 30-day follow-up call
Fee
Fixed project fee, agreed after scoping
Typical duration
3 to 6 weeks
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Retained trade advisor

Regular importers and exporters who want an expert on call

  • Priority access to a named advisor
  • Classification and valuation questions answered as they arise
  • Quarterly compliance review
  • Briefings when budgets, Acts or GRA notices change your costs
Fee
Monthly retainer, agreed in writing
Typical duration
Ongoing, minimum 3 months
Enquire about this

Not sure which fits? Book the free scoping call and we will recommend the smallest engagement that answers your question.

Process

How an engagement runs

Five steps, each agreed with you. Nothing is billed until you accept a written proposal.

  1. Scoping call

    A free 15-minute call to understand the question and confirm we are the right fit. No advice is given until scope is agreed.

  2. Proposal and engagement letter

    Written scope, deliverables, timeline and fixed fee. Work starts only when you have accepted it.

  3. Information and NDA

    We sign a confidentiality agreement on request and send a short, specific information request.

  4. Analysis and working sessions

    We review your entries, documents and data, test options against current law and GRA practice, and work through findings with your team.

  5. Report and handover

    A clear written deliverable you own, a debrief session, and 30 days of follow-up questions included.

Who advises you

Practitioners, not theorists

Our senior advisors are licensed customs professionals who file declarations, handle valuation queries and manage exemptions on live cargo. That is the difference between advice that sounds right and advice that survives an ICUMS assessment.

CredentialDetail
Licensed customs house agentGhana Revenue Authority
Daily ICUMS practiceTema, Takoradi and Kotoka
LanguagesEnglish and French
IndependenceFixed fees only; no commissions from suppliers or carriers

Our professional standards

  • Advice is based on current law, GRA guidance and our own practice, and we cite the basis for every recommendation
  • We disclose any conflict of interest before an engagement starts
  • We will not advise undervaluation, misdescription or any scheme that relies on a false declaration
  • Client information is confidential; NDAs on request
  • Where a matter needs a lawyer or tax adviser, we say so
Typical engagements

The kind of problems we solve

Illustrative scenarios based on common situations. They are not client case studies; client work is confidential.

Manufacturer, raw materials

Situation: Repeat imports of inputs classified inconsistently across shipments, leading to queries and different duty rates.

Typical work: Classification review of recurring items, an advance ruling application for the disputed line, and a classification register for future entries.

Distributor, consumer goods

Situation: Buying CIF with short free days at Tema and frequent demurrage.

Typical work: FOB versus CIF comparison, carrier and free-day options, a landed-cost model and a document timeline to lodge before arrival.

Foreign company, first shipment

Situation: A new market entrant unsure which permits apply and what the true landed cost will be.

Typical work: Permit matrix by product, importer set-up steps, landed-cost estimate and a 90-day launch plan.

Frequently asked questions

What does a customs consultant do in Ghana?

A customs consultant reviews how your goods are classified, valued and declared, identifies compliance risks and lawful ways to reduce duty, and helps you deal with GRA Customs on rulings, exemptions and audits. Unlike a clearing agent, the focus is on decisions and risk across many shipments, not clearing one consignment.

Is this different from your clearing service?

Yes. Clearing moves a specific shipment. Consultancy is a separate, paid advisory engagement with its own scope and fee, for decisions that affect many shipments or carry significant risk. Clients of either service can use the other, but neither is required.

How much does customs consultancy cost?

Every engagement has a written fixed fee agreed before work starts. Advisory sessions are billed per session; health checks and strategy projects at a fixed project fee; retainers monthly. Fees depend on scope and are quoted after a free 15-minute scoping call. Fees are subject to VAT, NHIL and GETFund where applicable.

What is a customs compliance health check?

A structured review of a sample of your recent customs entries against classification, valuation, origin, permits and exemption conditions. You receive a risk-rated report of what could be challenged and how to fix it, ideally before a post-clearance audit.

What is a GRA advance ruling?

A written decision from GRA Customs on how a product will be classified, or on its origin, before you import it. It gives certainty on the duty rate. We prepare the technical case and the application on your behalf.

Can you help us reduce import duty legally?

Yes, through correct classification, accurate customs valuation, the right Incoterms, preferential origin under ECOWAS or AfCFTA, and incentives or exemptions you qualify for. We do not advise undervaluation, misdescription or any arrangement that relies on a false declaration.

Do you sign a confidentiality agreement?

Yes. We sign a mutual NDA on request before you share commercial information, and we treat all client data as confidential by default.

Can you help if we already have a customs dispute or audit?

Yes. We can review the position, assemble evidence and help you prepare responses. Where a matter needs a lawyer, we will tell you and can work alongside your legal adviser.

Do you work with foreign companies entering Ghana?

Yes. Market-entry briefings cover importer registration, permits for your product range, landed cost, logistics partners and realistic timelines for a first shipment.

Where are sessions held?

At our Tema office, at your premises in Greater Accra, by video call, or by phone. On-site work elsewhere in Ghana can be arranged.

Reviewed by 7AS Trust clearing desk

Written by our clearing staff and checked by a licensed customs house agent. Reviews every guide against current GRA Customs practice and our own clearance files before publication. Last reviewed . How we write and review guides.

Sources and further reading

  1. GRA: Guidance on advance rulings (classification and origin)
  2. GRA: Post clearance audit
  3. GRA: Customs tariffs and levies
  4. GRA: VAT under the VAT Act, 2025 (Act 1151)
  5. GRA: Free zones regime
  6. Ghana Investment Promotion Centre
  7. AfCFTA Secretariat
  8. World Customs Organization: HS nomenclature

Book a scoping call

Free, 15 minutes, no obligation. We reply within one business day to arrange a time.

A better customs decision is worth more than one fast clearance.

Book a free 15-minute scoping call. If we are not the right fit, we will tell you.

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Agencies, terminals and handlers we work with

Logos and names are trademarks of their respective owners, shown to identify the regulators, terminals and handlers we deal with. This does not imply endorsement.