Costly import red tape means UK food prices will rise, expert warns
UK food importers are clashing with the government over a threat of inflationary increases to ...
© Andrew Norris | brexit
Hauliers and forwarders believe that in the event of a no-deal Brexit, the UK government’s simplified customs process will make no difference to the threat of delays at the Dover crossing.
HMRC noted yesterday that its Transitional Simplified Procedures (TSP) for customs “will make importing easier for an initial period of one year, should we leave the EU without a deal, to allow businesses time to prepare for usual import processes”.
It said: “Once businesses are registered for TSP, they will be able to transport goods ...
Comment on this article
James Binnie
February 05, 2019 at 5:06 pmToo many negative people – mainly forwarders – who cannot accept change.
I started up a container terminal in Durban in 2007 which was entirely paperless. Shippers declare export traffic data on line to both SA Customs and the container terminal operator computer systems when the container is packed and include the container seal number. The terminal operator has drive through container gates which the truck transits non stop at +-15 km/h and the gates take a stream of photographs which are stitched together to provide a record of the condition of the container (damaged/undamaged) on arrival on terminal. Simultaneously the container number and truck licence plate are recognised. The terminal computer system advises Customs of the arrival and is subsequently given a release for shipment.
Now to some ideas for the Brexit scenario.
Firstly – all shippers, importers and trucking companies will have to be given Trusted Trader recognition by the Customs authorities, both in EU and in UK. This will take time and the process should have already started as, whatever deal as finally agreed between EU and UK, both parties Customs authorities will still have to track and authorise the movement of the cargo.
On packing the truck the shipper will enter the information regarding contents, truck licence details and the electronic seal placed on the trailer into a computer system which should preferably be compatible with both EU and UK Customs computer systems to avoid double capture of data into both systems. This is perfectly possible with a little bit of co-operation since all partners should be using the harmonised customs cargo declaration system. The information is stored on both the exporting country and importing country Customs computer systems.
Subsequently the truck arrives at the export terminal and drives through an entrance gate similar to the ones we installed in Durban plus an electronic seal recognition system, which was not really available in 2007. The terminal computer system transmits this data (truck licence and electronic seal#) to the exporting country customs system which checks the information agrees with the shippers export declaration and releases the truck for shipment after which the truck is shipped. This data exchange should be virtually instantaneous in todays world. Ideally at this point details of all trucks actually shipped on a vessel including electronic seal data should be transmitted by the load port to both the terminal operator and Customs authority in the receiving country.
On arrival in the receiving country a similar process takes place at the port of entry, If the truck licence and electronic seal details agree with the original data supplied by the shipper and provided both the trucking company and importer hold Trusted Trader status the truck departure is authorised by Customs and the truck proceeds to the importers premises where, again, details of truck licence and electronic seal# are transmitted to the Customs computer system which will subsequently raise any necessary customs dues, VAT etc.
It should be noted that electronic seals normally have a tamper proof capability and the seal will automatically indicate if it has been tampered with when it is interrogated by the seal reader.
The above systems need some infrastructure at both port of shipment and at port of entry but this only needs to have electronic recognition of the truck licence plate and electronic seal# and is much simpler (and cheaper) than the Durban gate system. In fact hand held readers could be used at low volume terminals but this would involve the truck stopping for a minimal period of time.
I can see no reason why this system should not also work also in the Channel Tunnel rail transit scenario.
The only real losers in the above systems are the Forwarding Agents, which is probably the main reason for their unhappiness.
If it worked in Durban in 2007 it should be able to work in EU and UK jurisdictions in 2019!!!