Latest Government Resources: Business Readiness Bulletin

Business Readiness Bulletin – The UK transition

The UK has left the EU, and the transition period after Brexit comes to an end this year. Take action now to get ready for new rules from January 2021. This bulletin is issued by  the  Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and provides the latest information for businesses. 

HMRC urges traders to act now to prepare for 1 January 2021

With 53 days to go until the end of the transition period, HMRC has written to VAT-registered traders who trade with the EU, to encourage them to act now in order to avoid business disruption. The Border Operating Model and tax rules will come into effect at the end of the transition period regardless of whether or not a Free Trade Agreement is negotiated.  

To continue trading with Europe from 1 January 2021, businesses should take some key actions: 

• Appoint a specialist to deal with import and export declarations. This is important regardless of the amount or value of trade your business does with Europe. Most businesses use a third party such as a freight forwarder or fast parcel operator to deal with this, and do not do their customs declarations themselves.

• Check to see if you will be able to delay your declarations or duty payments.

• Register for the free-to-use Trader Support Service if you plan on moving goods into Northern Ireland from 1 January 2021.

• For more help and advice on preparing for the end of the transition period, please visit www.gov.uk/transition.

New Guidance

Trading with Non-EU countries from 1 January 2021: How you import from and export to the following countries will change from 1 January 2021.  Click on the links below for further details: 

• Andean Countries

• Morocco

• Pacific States

• Eastern and South African states (ESA)

• Chile

• Palestinian Authority

• Jordan

• Georgia

• South African Customs Union Member States and Mozambique (SACUM)

• Central America

• Faroe Islands

• Kosovo

• Switzerland

• Lebanon

• CARIFORUM States

• Israel

• Tunisia

The provisions of the UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement explained for: 

• Agriculture and Food

• Rules of origin

• Digital and data

• Geographical indications

Updated Guidance

Export Licencing: Exporters with an interest in various sectors should check to see if their items are on the dual-use control list by using the  Goods Checker Tool. They can also use the Control List Classification Service on the  online export licensing system. 

If you do not have a licence to export – your goods may be stopped by Customs. 

Sectors of interest are: 

• nuclear materials and processing equipment

• materials processing – machine tools

• electronics

• computers – specific parameters

• telecommunications

• information security including cyber and crypto

• sensors and lasers including imaging equipment and radars

• navigation and avionics

• marine

• aerospace and propulsion

For enquiries please contact exportcontrol.help@trade.gov.uk 

Food and Drink labelling changes from 1 January 2021: Further information about country of origin labels and food business operator (FBO) addresses for food and drink producers, manufacturers, retailers and suppliers has been updated here.  

Regulating medical devices from 1 January 2021: UKNI guidance and clarification surrounding grace periods for placing medical devices on GB, NI and EU markets. For more information, click here.  

Transition Webinars

With just 53 days to go until the end of the transition period, you can keep up to date by attending one of our webinars to help prepare your business: 

• Providing services in the EU: professional qualifications, audit and accounting, and legal services - 11am, Wednesday 11 November, and then on demand – register here.

• Chemical regulations - 11am, Thursday 12 November, and then on demand – register here

• Using personal data from 1 January 2021 – 11am, Wednesday 18 November, and the on demand – register here

• IPO webinar, 2pm Tuesday 17th November: This webinar will cover changes to registration of EU Trade Marks and Designs, how parallel trade with the EU will change after 1 Jan 2021, changes to copyright licencing and operational changes to office processes for the registration of trade marks, designs and patents after the end of the transition period. Register here.

• Ministry of Justice webinars for legal professionals. Find out more and register here.

• Webinars for exporters of animals and products of animal origin to the EU. Find out more about the webinars hosted live and on demand by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs here.

Find out more and register for all transition webinars here.