Tariff quotas

A tariff quota is a predetermined value or a predetermined quantity of goods which you may import with reduced customs duties or duty free during a limited time. Such quotas apply to the EU as a whole, and not only to Sweden.

There are two kinds of tariff quotas:

• Tariff quotas that can be requested for goods from all countries, regardless of origin.
• Preferential quotas which apply to goods originating in one country or a group of countries with which the EU has an agreement. Proof or origin must be provided, in the form of a certificate issued in the country of exportation.

Using the query system Kvota you can find current information about specific quotas.

Using the Kvota query system to find information about customs quotas.

Are my goods subject to tariff quotas?

Use the goods’ commodity code to determine if they are subject to tariff quotas. Any quota numbers will be shown in TARIC together with the commodity codes. A quota number consists of six digits and begins with 09.

Remember that quotas beginning with 094 are licence quotas, which are administered by the Swedish Board of Agriculture and must be requested in advance.

Learn more about applying for licence quotas from the Swedish Board of Agriculture.

Applying for tariff quotas in your customs declaration

You apply for tariff quotas in your customs declaration using a code in field 36 in the customs declaration. Please also enter “Tariff quota” in field 44 and the quota number in field 39.

When processing your customs declaration digitally, please use the DNU message type, i.e. the normal procedure for declarations. As a result, you request customs clearance in conjunction with submitting the supporting documents.

When using the simplified declaration procedure you cannot apply for a tariff quota until you have submitted the complementing declaration together with supporting documentation.

When sending the complementing declaration as a form, please mark the envelope with the words “Tariff quota”.

For the tariff quota application to be processed, the customs declaration must contain the following information:

• Commodity code;
• Country of origin;
• Statistical value;
• Quantity expressed in the quota unit, for example kilo, SEK or litre;
• Quota number in field 39;
• Code in field 36. These codes can be found in TARIC.

Please use the quota customs rate when calculating the customs duties owed in your declaration, even if no allocation decision regarding tariff quotas has been made.

First-come, first served tariff quotas

The sooner you submit your customs declaration, the more likely you are to benefit from the quota. The allocation of a quota is determined on a first-come, first served bases.

All shipments that enter the EU and are registered for clearance on the same day are allocated an equal quota. The applications are automatically sent to the European Commission in Brussels, where the quotas are allocated. It takes at least three working days from receiving your customs declaration until you receive a decision concerning your tariff quota application.

Thus, this cannot be communicated in advance. If the quota is full you will not receive any allocation and you will be required to pay customs or preferential customs, where applicable, in full.

You can see information about the status of your company’s quota application in the Kvotansökningar service. The information shown includes the rate determining day, quota number, country of origin and status, as well as whether the quota is allocated and by what amount.

View your quota applications in the Kvotansökningar service.