Glossary
What is an Inland Clearance Depot (ICD)?
An Inland Clearance Depot (ICD) is a customs-approved facility away from the port or airport where goods can be cleared, examined and stored. It shifts the clearance step inland, freeing capacity at the frontier. |
How does an ICD work?
Goods land at the seaport and move inland still under customs control, travelling under transit or temporary storage rather than entering free circulation. Clearance, examination and duty payment all happen at the depot. Only once the entry is cleared do the goods leave for final delivery.
Why importers use one
- Frees congested port capacity and cuts exposure to demurrage and quay rent
- Puts any examination closer to the receiving distribution centre
- Combines clearance, storage and onward distribution at a single site
ICD, ETSF or customs warehouse?
Different approvals for different jobs. An ETSF holds goods in temporary storage before they enter a customs procedure. A customs warehouse suspends duty for long-term storage. An ICD is the inland location where clearance itself takes place and often holds one or both of the other approvals alongside.
iCustoms handles the transit and clearance legs together, so inland movements never lose their audit trail.
