WHAT IMMEDIATE ACTIONS DOES YOUR COMPANY NEED TO TAKE?
As new rules and procedures are established, it’s more important than ever that your business is up to date and prepared for their impact. Here’s what you need to consider right away if you’re moving goods between the EU and the UK.
If your UK business is importing on its own name into the EU, you will need to be VAT registered in the EU. It is recommended you do this in the country of clearance. EU businesses, importing in their own name, into the UK will also need to be VAT registered in the UK.
Ensure you have the correct commodity code for your product so the right duty can be paid on same. Your commodity code, duty and VAT rates can be checked at: www.gov.uk/trade-tariff
Correct classification of your goods may establish if they qualify under any free trade agreement (FTA). WTO technical information is available at: https://bit.ly/2H22rSh
An Economic Operator’s Registration and Identification (EORI) number will be required to continue trading between the UK and the EU in the event of a customs border. This can be obtained at: www.gov.uk/eori
Please note that it is vital that an EORI exists in both the country of Export and the country of Import.
This must be done in line with the WTO valuation agreement. Further information may be obtained from:
https://bit.ly/341YTbf
Fill out the registration form at the end of the brochure and a member of our team will be in contact.
If your goods contain product of animal origin it may require a Health Certificate. Your importer will need these to complete relevant entries 24hrs prior to arrival at port. Due to the limited number of vets available, your company should be considering this already.
Imports from the EU to the UK (excluding NI) will be subject to tariffs for 01 January 2021. A proactive business should be evaluating the impact of same. These are available by entering your commodity code at:
www.trade-tariff.service.gov.uk/section
Consider whether you can, and would benefit from, using any available customs simplifications or facilitations.
Check your product will be subject to any controls under prohibited or dual-use goods controls. Please note that it may take up to 6 weeks to obtain a Permit or Licence so we suggest that you contact the relevant department as soon as possible to avoid delays.
As the rules help you clarify who is responsible for the delivery costs of goods, a vigilant company will look to review these to foresee and address any potential disputes.
All pallets must be ISPM 15 standard and stamped as such or they may be rejected.
The Agent will be responsible for submitting both your Customs Declarations, from 01 January 2021, and your Pre-Boarding Notification (PBN), from 02 November 2020. For UK businesses exporting to the EU this can either be an EU-based subsidiary if they are part of the transaction or an EU-based customs broker.
If you have any contractual obligations to ensure delivery within a set time frame, to avoid penalty, then you need to discuss this with your customers to manage expectations during a predicted period of disruption.
