Import & Export Logistics Specialist

Responsibilities

• Conduct in-depth research on South Africa’s import and export laws, customs supervision regulations, tariff policies and trade control provisions.
• Track the latest policy updates from the South African Revenue Service (SARS), Southern African Customs Union (SACU) and SADC continuously.
• Sort out compliance risks and formulate customized operational standards for the company’s import and export businesses.
• Oversee the full customs clearance process of goods imported into South Africa, including accurate HS code classification, application for import permits, verification of compliance documents, customs declaration via SARS e-Filing System, calculation of all levies (customs duties, VAT, surcharges, anti-dumping duties, etc.), coordination for customs inspections, and risk control for overdue declarations to ensure efficient and compliant customs release of goods.
• Manage cross-border logistics channels in Southern Africa, liaise with sea freight, air freight and road freight service providers, track cargo movement, resolve abnormalities such as shipment delays, port detention, cargo damage and loss.
• Optimize cross-border logistics plans by balancing lead time, cost and transportation safety.
• Be proficient in preferential trade policies, tariff exemptions and customs facilitation measures of South Africa and the Southern African region.
• Develop and implement compliant utilization plans tailored to the company’s import and export operations to legitimately cut costs on duties, logistics and customs clearance, while mitigating trade compliance risks.
• Oversee sorting, verification and filing of full import and export documents, including bills of lading, packing lists, certificates of origin, customs declarations, inspection and quarantine certificates, etc., to guarantee consistency and traceability of all documents.
• Establish data ledgers covering import & export, customs clearance and logistics, and deliver regular business review reports.
• Liaise with local South African authorities including customs and inspection bodies, logistics vendors and customs brokers; maintain communication with headquarters in China to exchange logistics, customs clearance and policy information bidirectionally.
• Resolve all issues across the full business workflow efficiently to sustain stable daily import and export operations.
• Identify violations, tax risks and cargo detention risks arising from South African import/export trade, customs clearance and logistics links.
• Develop preventive contingency plans in advance to avoid financial penalties, cargo seizure and clearance delays caused by under-declaration, inconsistent documents, unauthorized import access and other irregularities.

Qualification

• Bachelor’s degree or above; majors in Logistics, International Trade or related fields are preferred.
• Minimum 3 years of hands-on working experience in international logistics, import & export trade or customs clearance based in South Africa, with proven track record of delivering end-to-end cross-border logistics and South African customs clearance projects.
• Sound expertise in South Africa’s import & export control framework, goods classification and clearance rules, customs declaration time limits and access standards for all commodity categories. Familiar with import supervision requirements and anti-dumping/special levy rules for mainstream products such as mechanical and electrical goods; proficient in SARS customs declaration system and calculation standards for customs duties, VAT and all additional levies.
• Possess well-established connections with local South African customs authorities, customs brokers and logistics suppliers. Capable of independently handling customs inspections, logistics disruptions and policy compliance issues. Candidates with practical experience in regional Southern African trade policy implementation and cost reduction optimization are preferred.
• Meticulous, highly responsible, with outstanding problem-solving skills, communication & coordination capabilities and ability to work under pressure. Familiar with import & export documentation standards and ledger management procedures, and strictly adhere to the company’s compliance management policies.