Direct or Indirect Representation

• In case of direct representation, a customs agent lodges a declaration in the name of and on behalf of the stakeholder. The stakeholder is the declarant and, as such, responsible for the declaration. In the EU the basis for this kind of representation is Article 18 UCC.

• In case of indirect representation, a customs agent lodges a declaration in his or her own name but on behalf of a stakeholder. A customs agent who acts as an indirect representative is the declarant and, as such, responsible for the content of the declaration. Indirect representation is particularly intended for situations where the stakeholder is established outside the import country. In that case, he/she will not be able to act as a declarant himself. In the EU the basis for this kind of representation is Article 18 UCC.