On 24 December 2020, the European Union and the United Kingdom reached an agreement in principle on the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement. As the agreement was arrived at such a later period of time, it will not allow the EU parliament enough time to scrutinise the agreement comprehensively before the end of the transition period on the 31st of December the Commission proposes to apply the Agreement on a provisional basis, for a limited period of time until 28 February 2021.
INFORMATION REQUIRED TO CREATE CUSTOMS DOCUMENTATION
Since the arrival of the new post-BREXIT trading environment on 1st January 2021, issues have been identified which have contributed to delays. All stakeholders in the Supply Chain (consignors/shippers/ hauliers/ forwarders/consignees/customs/ferry companies) have new responsibilities in the supply chain.
To avoid delays, it is essential to have advance information and documentation in place prior to the presentation at the point of departure. Freight Forwarders and Customs Brokers can complete Customs Clearance procedures on behalf of their Clients, but the base information must be supplied by the Client in advance and they must be authorised to do so.
Customs declarations must be properly completed and 100% accurate; clearance cannot be completed on a consignment without meeting this requirement; in a groupage load, this could cause delays to the other consignments on board.
The challenge of the new landscape, complete with multiple documents and IT systems has only now begun to be fully appreciated. To complete the documentation accurately and fully, Shippers (those Businesses exporting or importing cargo) must provide their Customs Broker or the person completing customs formalities on their behalf with:
Where the Haulage Operator is a separate entity in this process, they are required to provide:
It is essential that those Businesses seeking to have Customs formalities completed by a third party on their behalf understand that their paperwork must be appropriate and available in advance of shipments. Expectations by industry will have to inevitably adjust from JIT order lead-in times to minimum 24-hour order lead-in times, with sufficient time and procedures in place for advance supporting documentation preparation.
It is essential that all stakeholders in the supply chain have effective communication channels open and that the person / company completing the documentation is contactable 24 hours a day to enable a smooth flow of goods through the ports and deal with any issues that may arise.
KEY CONTACTS / RESOURCES
Declarations for Import, Export and Transit Including the Safety & Security Declarations
From 1 January 2021 there is a requirement to complete all the declarations for import, export and transit including the Safety & Security declarations. The information at these links set out the requirements:
Export (including outbound transits)
Assistance with Specific Queries
The DFAM can be contacted at Brexitcall@agriculture.gov.ie for assistance with specific queries between the hours of 08.00 and 19.00, seven days a week or at (076)106 4443 on a 24 hour basis. If you/your client has a query in relation to a specific import consignment, please contact the Border Control Post to which you/they are importing:
- Dublin Port BCP can be contacted at (01) 615 7792 or BCP.DubPort@agriculture.gov.ie
- Rosslare Euro Port BCP can be contacted at (053) 911 4157 or RosslareBCP@agriculture.gov.ie
- Dublin Airport BCP can be contacted at (01) 615 7650 or BCP.DublinAirport@agriculture.gov.ie
Food Safety on Foods of Non-Animal Origin or Food Contact Materials
The HSE, Environmental Health Service check for food safety on foods of non-animal origin or food contact materials. If you require any help or assistance, please email importcontroldublin@hse.ie or telephone 01 9212851.
CONTACT DETAILS
- Dublin – importcontroldublin@hse.ie
- Rosslare – importcontrolrosslare@hse.ie
SPS and Customs Training for shipping goods to and from Great Britain
2021 saw the introduction of: –
- Customs requirements on all products traded with Great Britain
- Sanitary & Phytosanitary (SPS) controls on agri-food imports into Ireland.
2022 now brings the phased introduction of SPS controls on agri food imports into Great Britain (GB) from Ireland and the EU.
BDO is adding further dates for their customs and SPS workshops, designed to help businesses who import or export. These workshops, each run over 2 half days, will inform traders of the steps they need to take in order to continue with cross border trade.
Customs Workshop
Compliance with customs legislation is monitored by customs audits and our customs workshop will focus on the need for compliance. Following the training, you will be able to understand what is required in customs process to continue to trade in accordance with the customs regulations.
SPS Workshop
As a food business operator or logistics company are you familiar with:
- The product commodities which are subject to SPS controls?
- The documentation required in order to import/export agri food products?
- How to complete the SPS pre-notification?
- What pre-notification means?
- The checks completed at the Border Control Posts?
It is important that you understand the requirements for the type of food product you are importing/exporting and that all necessary documentation is completed on time and provided to the necessary party.
Failure to complete the SPS import/export formalities may results in lengthy delays, refused entry to the EU or GB and your good retuned or destroyed.
BDO is offering an SPS training course to assist all parties in the supply chain to understand the SPS formalities and the impact it may have on you. This covers the practical steps required to import and export a broad range of Agri–food products. Preparation is key to managing the journey on the products which you are distributing which are subject to SPS requirements.
Find out more details about what our workshops will cover and how they affect your business by downloading our brochure or contacting a member of our team at customstraining@bdo.ie
BREXIT PREPARATION DOCUMENTS 2020
FTAI IRELAND
USEFUL RESOURCES
FTAI IRELAND
GREAT BRITAIN TRADE
For those visiting GB and using the landbridge the information below will be useful:
The UK Haulier Handbook is available in 14 languages including Polish. There is a list at the side of the webpage where you can select language and then download that language in pdf www.gov.uk/haulier-handbook#kent-traffic-management for example the Polish one is here , but you might also want the versions in Hungarian, Latvian, Romanian etc. If you have any trouble downloading those let me know. I’m also attaching the Kent traffic leaflets and their Polish translations. You are welcome to distribute these wherever you think useful.
We are recommending that drivers stop and get advice from the Advice sites in the UK. They will help with border readiness https://www.gov.uk/guidance/haulier-advice-site-locations, there is one at Holyhead, and at some you can also get the free covid test for Kent – for example Leicester Forest and Watford Gap southbound on the M1 might be on the landbridge route. The full list of covid test sites is here https://twitter.com/grantshapps/status/1345736524151861252