Do you need help with
your customs clearances?

The UK officially left the EU on the 31st January 2020, with the transition period ending on the 31st December 2020. New rules have now been implemented from the 1st January 2021 on the import and export of goods to and from the EU.

Customs issues can be complicated and by taking the governments advice in appointing a customs broker, here at Clarksons, our professional team will make sure your goods are cleared in a timely manner, avoiding delays and extra costs, with no disruption to your business.

It is important to note the customs rules in relation to Northern Ireland will be different to that in Great Britain, and our team will provide step by step guidance on how to proceed.

Whether you are a large multi-national company, a small business or an individual, a customs declaration is required for all goods imported into the UK customs territory across international borders. This declaration will list the detail of all the goods being imported in the shipment.

The customs declaration, or Single Administrative Document (SAD) is the document that provides proof of an import or export, and is essential for the traceability of movements.

Each SAD is approved by the customs department and is the only valid document proving an import or export operation.

Applicable tariffs in the UK are paid to HMRC and usually paid by the Importer of those goods before they can be released. Payment can be made via your customs agent to HMRC to speed up the process.

Before you can proceed in appointing your customs clearance broker, you will need to obtain the following detail:

• EORI Number – Economic Operators Registration & Identification number, assigned by HMRC, used in the process of customs entry declarations. Find out more
• Commodity Codes – a 10-digit number allocated to all goods. This will define the duty and VAT charges applicable, and can be found on the UK Trade tariff Website
• Custom Procedure Code – a CPC will identify the customs regime from where goods have come from and to where they are being entered. Find out more

We can guide you through the process of obtaining this information.

Before we can process your customs clearance application, you will need to provide us with the following:

• Completed Customs Entry Instruction Form – this will be emailed to you for completion on appointing Clarksons as your approved Broker.
• Authority for Customs Clearance Agent Document – this will be emailed to you together with your CEI form, for completion.
• Method for paying taxes – (i.e. Duty Deferement Account) Customs duty should be paid once goods arrive in UK, you can either pay HMRC directly or use a Postponed VAT Accounting Deferment Account. Find out more
• Commercial Invoice – The commercial invoice will detail invoice number, buyer & seller name and address, country of origin of the goods, a brief description, together with the value, net & gross weights, and number of packages.
• Packing List – full description of goods, package type, quantity of goods, quantity of packaging, net weight and supplementary information required in relation to tariff type commodity code
• Bill of Lading / Delivery Notes / CMR – obtained from your commercial carrier
• Certificate of Origin (if applicable) - widely used in international trade transactions which attests the product listed has met certain criteria
• Export Health Certificate – An Export Health Certificate (EHC) is an official document that confirms your export meets the health requirements of the destination country. You must apply for an EHC if you’re exporting or moving goods deriving from animal products from Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) to, or through the EU, non-EU countries, Northern Ireland (NI).

You will also need a transit EHC to transit through an EU country. Find out more