By Joe Goldsworthy, Customs Agent
Whilst many of us have been on our summer holidays, HMRC has been very busy, and has made several important announcements in the last month.
Last week, HMRC announced a further extension to the switchover to the Customs Declarations Service (CDS). The switchover date (which was previously 30th November 2023) has been pushed back to 30th March 2024, allowing businesses more time to prepare and adapt to the new platform. This decision was made following discussion with the logistics industry: there were fears that not enough businesses were prepared for the switchover, and many didn't even have the IT systems in place to cope with it.
Business West has been lodging declarations on CDS export for over a year, and from November all exports out of Dover or Eurotunnel will be done on CDS, ensuring our customers are well prepared for the eventual switchover.
There were also amendments to the Border Target Operating Model (TOM) last week, which will have an impact on the food and drinks industry, as well as various other industries in the UK. It had been expected that more stringent checks would be enforced for certain plant or animal products, but it has finally been confirmed that health certification for these products will come into effect in January 2024.
Businesses which trade goods containing animal or plant products will therefore need to start preparing for the additional scrutiny, and make sure that certification is in place if required. The second phase of the TOM is due to be launched in April 2024, where there will be additional documentary or physical checks on consignments of this nature and provides the affected industries ample time to prepare for the changes.
With years of experience in the food and drink industry, Chamber Customs are happy to discuss any queries you may have about the upcoming changes to the TOM, or any of the other announcements made by HMRC recently. Just drop us an email.
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