Destination of Irish Exports

Jan - Feb 2008	%
EU	62.5
USA	19.8
Switzerland	2.0
Japan	1.8
Hong Kong/Singapore	1.5
Rest of World	12.4
Source: Central Statistics Office, May 2008

Customs Benefits of a Free Zone

Customs Duties:-

Duty free access for goods in process

- through the operation of the inward processing system, goods from non-EU countries may be imported duty free to Shannon for further processing. Duty is paid only as goods finally leave Shannon for onward shipment to the EU

Goods destined to non EU countries (e.g. Middle East, Africa, Far East) do not incur any duty liability at Shannon. Duty may be paid on the landed price of goods at Shannon or the final selling out price

The duty deferral and VAT features of Shannon Free Zone provide important cash flow benefits to companies using the Zone to serve the EU market

Single Administrative Document (SAD):-

The Single Administrative Document (SAD), created in 1998, is a standardized, simplified document, which has replaced most of the customs declarations forms existing in member states of the EU. This document is required for exporting, importing or transporting “goods in transit” within the European Union or the European Free Trade Area (Iceland, Switzerland, Norway & Lichtenstein).