Customs rules are changing for goods destined into Great Britain

As the new year rapidly approaches, traders moving goods between the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK) should take note of the changes that will occur on January 1st 2022, whereby border controls will be further tightened affecting all movements into Great Britain.

Here below we have highlighted some of the key changes that will require consideration:

Full customs controls will be implemented meaning that unless you have a full authorisation that has been pre-approved that will facilitate a customs simplification, all goods will require a customs declaration.

Products of animal origin, animal by-products, plants and plant products will require a pre-notification to UK authorities prior to boarding the ferry in the EU

This is can be undertaken by your customs broker by submitting the details into the government’s IPAFFS application  -  Goods moving in from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland will be exempt

Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS) though non-inventory linked ports will be mandatory and optional through certain ports that intend on operating the mixed inventory/GVMS model, this obligation will rest on the operator of the active means of transport, which for a vehicle will be the responsibility of the haulier

- GVMS is a virtual envelope that will enable multiple declaration references to be amalgamated into a single reference called a GMR (Goods Movement Reference) to simplify the visibility for the operators and government agencies

- GVMS supports the New Pre-Lodgement Model which will:

• Ensure all goods have the appropriate declarations before they board  
• Communicate to the person in control of the goods by the time they arrive at the port of discharge, to inform them whether goods are cleared to proceed on their journey or alternatively whether the goods require a check.

Border locations that will operate under the Temporary Storage model, meaning that they hold an approval from customs and will operate an Inventory Linked system connected via a Community Support Provider, whereby goods can be controlled upon arrival and therefore can be cleared following discharge as opposed to traders having to pre-lodge their customs declarations prior to EU departure.

-  Goods can remain within the controlled area for up to 90 days

The requirement to submit Security & Safety declarations for goods arriving from the EU has been postponed until 1st July 2022.

An important change that will affect many exporters and importers is the end of the easement relating to preferential rules of origin, meaning that a trader wishing to claim duty relief under the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) must have a very good understanding on what qualifies and what does not qualify. Any goods that are considered to qualify, the trader must hold the correct evidence to verify to customs if requested to do so, If the relevant evidence is not held then the goods will be subject to the full rate of duty. This rule applies to goods travelling in both directions.
 

OCTOBER 13th, 2021

Full customs declarations and controls for EU goods from January 1st 2022

Great Britain left the European Union on January 31st 2020 with the agreed Transitional period ending on December 31st 2020.

To assist businesses from January 1st 2021, the British government decided to phase in border controls in order to soften the impact to businesses already suffering during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Border controls for goods entering Great Britain by roll-on and roll-off ferries were not fully implemented, which allowed most goods to enter the UK without any customs checks upon arrival, furthermore, it is also possible to import certain products destined for the domestic market to enter the UK without the immediate presentation of a customs entry, under a temporary easement, however, the full declaration would then be required before 6 months had elapsed.

On January 1st 2022 full customs controls will be re-introduced, unless you already have a full authorisation from customs in place before controls are introduced.

Customs have issued a trade notice which can be read here

The new DIT export hotline

On October 1, the UK’s Department for International Trade launched its new service specifically targeting British businesses who are exporting into Europe. It is designed to assist exporters to navigate much of the complex trading rules that have been implemented since Brexit, such as, preferential rules of origin, entering new markets, etc. The European market is the UKs largest trading partner with around £288 billion worth of goods exported there last year. It is available here

Reach out the UK customs advisory team if you need support! For full details of the customs services we can provide click here