Lithuanian customs

The Customs System of the Republic of Lithuania comprises the Customs Department under the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Lithuania, Customs Criminal Service, Customs Training Centre, Customs Laboratory, Customs Information System Centre and three territorial Customs offices (Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipėda).

The mission of the Lithuanian Customs is legitimate, safe, fair and smooth international trade in Lithuania.

The values of the Customs:

-  respect for the individual and the state,

-  professionalism,

-  partnership.

The long-term strategic goals of the Lithuanian Customs:

- facilitating our clients in carrying out customs formalities properly and conveniently by reforming the supervision of economic operators, reducing the time required for persons to carry out customs formalities, encouraging economic operators to benefit from facilitations and simplifications, fostering compliance.

- strengthening the fight against unfair and illegal international trade, crime and threats to national and international security by applying multi-layered risk assessment of the supply chain, increasing the efficiency of customs controls, reducing the possibilities of the illegal market access for excise goods, prohibited and restricted goods as well as goods that are dangerous to residents and harmful to the environment, encouraging the general public not to tolerate smuggling and other types of illegal circulation of goods.

- expanding institutional competencies by improving the management of the Lithuanian Customs, attracting and training competent and motivated staff, developing customs information systems, ensuring the infrastructure required to perform the functions of the Lithuanian Customs, strengthening partnerships with other institutions and organisations involved in the monitoring and policing of the international supply chain.

On performing the surveillance of the Community international trade, the Lithuanian Customs contributes to ensuring the promotion of honest and open trade, protection of the internal market of the Republic of Lithuania, security of all supply chain. The Customs authorities of Lithuania have a pivotal role, in close co-operation with other authorities, allowing them to:

- support legitimate trade and strengthen competitiveness

- ensure the correct payment of duties and taxes

- combat counterfeiting and piracy;

- support the fight against other types of fraud, organised crime, drugs and terrorism by processing information, identifying changes in trade patterns and undertaking risk assessment to detect financial fraud, terrorist and criminal activities

- protect the environment and citizens against all sorts of hazardous goods.