Changes in EU
imports into GB

Changes to EU imports into GB

Changes to EU imports into GB: GB S&S declaration requirement from 31 October 2024.

Safety & Security Declarations for imports into the UK from the EU (Safety & Security GB) will be required from the end of October 2024. It is highly likely that Border Control GB will strictly enforce these requirements. Anyone failing to provide the correct declaration will be subject to sanctions.

Safety and security declarations

Border summary declarations are security and safety declarations (SSD) sent to the border customs authority to carry out a risk analysis on goods that are to cross a particular customs border. It is also the first or last customs document sent by the customs authorities of a country. There are two types of declaration – ENS (entry summary declaration) and EXS (exit summary declaration).

A summary import declaration must be lodged before the goods are delivered if the goods are being transported to:

  • Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales),

  • Northern Ireland from Great Britain,

  • Northern Ireland from outside the EU.

The entry summary declaration must contain information relating to the security and safety of the goods being carried. The entry summary declaration must be complete and accurate and must be lodged before the goods arrive at the border. The declaration may be amended at any time up to the time the goods reach the UK border if it is found that information, such as the quantity of goods or the time of the border crossing, has changed during transit.

Registration required to lodge an entry summary declaration

To make a declaration, register with

  • Safety and Security Service (S&S GB) for the import of goods into Great Britain
  • Northern Ireland Import Control System (ICS NI) for goods entering Northern Ireland

S&S declarations will be required for the import of goods from the EU into GB from 31 October 2024.

The Government has published a new Target Operating Model for Border Controls, available at www.gov.uk, which sets out the future requirements for S&S declarations.

Territories with an exemption from the lodging of the summary import declaration are:​​

• Andorra
• Ceuta and Melilla
• Heligoland
• Liechtenstein
• Monaco
• Norway
• San Marino
• Switzerland
• Municipalities of Livigno Campione d'Italia
• Vatican City State
• The Italian national waters of Lake Lugano, between the shore and the political boundary of the area between Ponte Tresa and Porto Ceresio.

Goods that are exempt from declaration include:

Electricity

Goods leaving by pipeline

Letters, postcards and printed matter, including on electronic media

Goods contained in travellers' personal luggage

Goods declared verbally to the customs authorities

The deadline for lodging the entry summary declaration is as follows

The deadline depends on the mode of transport. The minimum time for lodging an import summary declaration is as follows.

Maritime container cargo

cargo must be lodged at least 24 hours before loading at the port of departure.

Maritime bulk or general cargo

must be lodged at least 4 hours prior to arrival.

Roll on roll off (RoRo) cargo

must be lodged at least 2 hours prior to arrival of the ferry operator.

RoRo cargo that is not fine freight

must be lodged at least 2 hours before arrival of the ferry operator.

Short sea voyages

must be lodged at least 2 hours prior to arrival. You must notify us at least two hours prior to arrival.

For short-haul flights

(less than four hours) you must notify us on the actual take-off.

For long-haul flights

you must notify us at least four hours before landing.

For rail and inland waterways

you must notify us at least two hours prior to arrival.

For the Channel Tunnel

you must notify us at least one hour before arrival at the Eurotunnel terminal

For road traffic

you must notify us at least one hour prior to arrival.

You must lodge an entry summary declaration

You must use the S&S GB service to bring goods into Great Britain

the ICS NI service to bring goods into Northern Ireland

You will need to provide the following information in order to make the declaration:

1. Description of the goods or goods code.
2. The consignor and consignee.
3. Type, quantity and packaging of your goods.
4. Type of transport at the border.
5. Details of onward journey.
6. Location code S&S GB (customs office number) for the port of entry.

You must provide documents and import licences, if any, to make the declaration.

Acceptance by UK customs authorities

Once the import summary declaration has been accepted by GB customs, a declaration reference number will be issued. The declaration will be subjected to a risk assessment and the results will be used by GB border services to identify:

  • consignments they wish to prevent from irregularities in the future being loaded onto a vessel entering GB (for deep-sea container cargoes only),
  • imports that they may wish to control on entry to Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

 

A ‘Do not load’ message is possible, in which case the UK Border Agency will tell you what to do.

For goods bound for Northern Ireland, if the ship or aircraft is diverted to a different office of entry into GB, you should apply for a diversion as soon as you are aware of the change of office of entry. Once the goods have arrived in Northern Ireland, you will need to submit an arrival notification.

Entry summary declaration data ->

Responsibility for the Import Summary Declaration​

The “carrier” is responsible for lodging the safety and security declaration. In RoRo (ferry) transport for vehicles with a driver, this is the shipper on behalf of the carrier. For semi-trailers without a driver, it is the shipowner, although many shipowners have delegated this task to their freight forwarder clients.

  • Valid EORI number,
  • Name and address,
  • Reference number.
  • Forwarding agent (for vehicles with driver),
  • Owner (for vehicles without driver).
  • Total number of packages and weight,
  • Type of packages,
  • Any markings and reference numbers.
  • Border crossing point (name of port/customs office number),
  • Estimated arrival time and date.
  • Vehicle Identification Number (VIN),
  • Trailer seal (if applicable).
  • Importer’s EORI number,
  • Description of goods,
  • Tariff numbers.
Changes in EU imports into GB​

Summary

Post-Brexit Regulations: Following the UK’s exit from the EU, there have been changes to import regulations, but the UK has not been able to take all the necessary steps immediately after leaving the EU to ensure compliance with existing laws. Therefore, importers will need to adapt to the new regulations. Changing regulations and guidelines need to be monitored to avoid problems when importing goods.

All of these aspects are important to ensure that imported goods comply with existing safety and security regulations and standards. These have been in place in the European Union for many years and it is now time for them to be introduced in the UK.

Source: www.etransport.pl

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