Government Resources: Red tape, Haulage, and movement of goods

Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland Protocol and UK-EU relations: UK and EU joint statement, 24 January: First published.

Goods Movement
Get a goods movement reference: service availability and issues: Planned downtime from 9:30pm Saturday 29 January 2022 to 5am Sunday 30 January 2022 has been added.

Customs Import Declarations
Help and support for UK transition: A video about Customs Import Declarations – an overview has been added.

HMRC Updates
Goods Movement References needed for empty movements

From 1 February all movements through locations using the Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS), including empty trailers, will need to have a Goods Movement Reference (GMR) to cross the UK border.

Hauliers at GVMS locations are required to have a valid GMR for empty movements, however, in response to feedback from carriers and to manage traffic flows in the early days of full customs controls from 1 January 2022, HMRC provided carriers with the temporary optional ability to allow empty units not under transport contract to be embarked without a GMR for the month of January.

Use of this temporary optional easement has been dropping off as hauliers adjust to new requirements. As a result the easement will end as planned on 1 February and GMRs will be needed for all movements through GVMS locations. Any non-compliant vehicles will be unable to embark from their port of departure.

HMRC will continue to work closely with carriers and our other partners to monitor the situation on the ground closely and to provide further support as and where necessary.

To find out more about how to get a GMR go to GOV.UK

 

Removal of the EU country code for the Country of Origin or Country of Dispatch

Before Christmas we asked traders not to use the EU country code for the Country of Origin or Country of Dispatch when making declarations and said we would be making preparations to remove the code from CHIEF and CDS.

We will be removing the EU country code for the Country of Origin and Country of Dispatch from 8 February 2022 for CHIEF users. For declarations made into CDS, we advise the code must not be used for Country of Origin or Country of Dispatch. The EU country code is, however, permitted and should be used when declaring the country of preferential origin as per TCA rules.

For supplementary declarations that are submitted after 8 February 2022, the correct country code for the Member State must be used regardless whether the tax point is before this date.

Transit Manual Supplement updated

A new version of the transit Manual Supplement (link) was published on 24 December containing a rewritten section on the NCTS Business Continuity Plan with all the details in one place. This should be the first point of reference for information and advice about the operation of NCTS BCP.

 

Important Update on Moving Goods out of Great Britain Through GVMS Border Locations

If you move goods out of Great Britain through border locations that use the Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS), you will be aware that some of these locations require an ‘arrived’ export declaration to be submitted so the goods can receive customs clearance (Permission to Progress) and continue to their destination.  

It is a legal requirement to notify HMRC within 15 days of the departure of goods for export directly from the UK. If no further notification is sent within 15 days of lodging the declaration, the Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight (CHIEF) system will automatically assume the goods have departed and generate a system-assigned departure code (ICS 61).

However, for some locations, this period was reduced to 5 days in January 2021. We notified users about this at the time and updated guidance is also available on gov.uk.

 

HMRC is aware that this reduced 5-day period is causing problems for some customers where the ‘arrived’ export declaration has been created more than 5 days before the crossing.

We have updated CHIEF to change the assumed departure period back to 15 days which took effect from 00:01 on 21 January 2022.

Where GVMS is being used, the embarkation notification sent to GVMS by the carrier will update the export Declaration Unique Consignment Reference (DUCR) departure state in CHIEF to ICS 60.

If a Transit Movement Reference Number (MRN) is used in the Goods Movement Reference (GMR) instead of the export DUCR, and if no further action is taken with the DUCR, CHIEF will automatically default to assumed departure after 15 days.

 

We would like to remind you that even though the draft GMR can be created up to 28 days in advance of the crossing, you should not create any CHIEF declarations prior to 15 days of the actual departure date. For arrived declarations, customs clearance is given in real time upon submission of the declaration.

If you create export declarations more than 15 days before departure:

  • You will receive an error in the GMR and be unable to finalise it.

  • Your driver will be unable to check-in and board the ferry or shuttle.

  • Your goods may be delayed while new export declarations are created and entered into a valid GMR.

If you need further help or information about these requirements, you can:

read the UK Government’s Haulier Handbook (available in multiple languages) that provides the latest guidance about all the steps you need to follow to move goods between Great Britain and the EU.

Despatch, 2022_1Tamara CincikGovernment Resources