What should hauliers be doing now?
- Apply for an EORI (Economic Operator Registration and Identification) number in your home administration
- Ensure that for all goods you are moving, it is clear who will make export and import declarations and that they will be ready for 1st January 2021.
- If you are the declarant, appoint a customs intermediary to act on your behalf if you do not intend to undertake this work yourself.
- If moving goods into Northern Ireland from Great Britain, the UK Government’s Trader Support Service is being established to provide information and to process entries on your behalf, free of charge. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/trader-support-service
- Depending on the shipping routes you utilise, as a haulier you will need to be registered (or have agreements with qualified parties to register and act on your behalf) with Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS UK) and the Customs Roll On/Roll Off Service (ROI), as well as the relevant UK/EU systems for registering safety and security declarations. If you ship on routes between Great Britain and the Netherlands and you will also need access to Portbase, the port community system for Dutch ports. It is highly likely you will also need access to other systems – refer to relevant state authorities’ guidance.
- You (or an agreed party as above) will be responsible for completing all safety and security declarations, for both accompanied and unaccompanied shipments.
- If shipping under transit arrangements through the Common Transit Convention (CTC) mechanism, consider applying for or encouraging your main partners to apply for Authorised Consignor / Authorised Consignee status at their premises to avoid congestion and delays at customs facilities, especially if these are at a port location.
- We understand that some original hard copy documentation may be required to travel with a vehicle or be available at its point of entry at the time it arrives (for example Export Health Certificates, Transit Accompanying Documents or TADs); please check full requirements with authorities. We will not be able to accept such documents into our care or operate a ‘Ship’s Bag’ arrangement – if you ship unaccompanied trailers, please ensure that you have made suitable arrangements for the secure transfer of such documents with the load they relate to – for example in a lockable document box attached to the trailer – allowing for inspection by the authorities if required.
- Terms and Conditions will be amended to reflect responsibilities in this new environment; please ensure that you review all updates in detail.
Please be aware that the above guidance is based on current understandings of the post-transition period, from 1st January 2021. Further clarification around processes and requirements is being issued by the relevant authorities on a regular basis and it is very possible that notes will be added or amended in the coming weeks and months. Please refer to our website for updates and more detail as it becomes available.