Total imports and exports are valued at the exporter's customs frontier, or free on board (fob).

(d) direct subsidies on exports payable directly to resident producers when the goods leave the economic territory or the services are provided to non-residents - except repayments at the customs frontier of taxes on products previously paid and waiving of the taxes that would be due if the goods were to be sold or used inside the economic territory.

As it may not be possible to obtain fob values for detailed product breakdowns, the tables containing details on foreign trade show imports valued at the importer's customs frontier (cif value).

On the other hand, for imported goods, i.e. those currently subject to customs transit, it has not yet been decided at what point any transactions should be covered by the VAT legislation; the solution needs to balance two opposing principles, first that goods should be sllowed to cross external borders without delay, whether they are released for free circulation at the border or continue to be subject to customs transit, and secondly that domestic Community transactions be assured equal tax treatment, without conferring unintended advantages on imported goods.

To complete the study being undertaken for general customs control equipment at the external borders [79], it may be also useful to make a study of the equipment available and necessary in Member States for the control of the external border, which is specifically required for third pillar purposes.

Council Regulation (EEC) No 3648/91 of 13 December 1991 laying down the procedures governing the use of Form 302 and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 3690/86 concerning the abolition within the framework of the TIR Convention of customs formalities on exit from a Member State at a frontier between two Member States, and Regulation (EEC) No 4283/88 on the abolition of certain exit formalities at internal Community frontiers - introduction of common border posts