On January 1, 2021 the transition period with the European Union (EU) will end, and the United Kingdom (UK) will operate a full, external border as a sovereign nation. This means that controls will be placed on the movement of goods between the UK and the EU.

Organization of border controls

The document The Border with the European Union: Importing and Exporting Goods, which is published by the UK government, contains information on the procedures for trade with the EU after the end of the Brexit transition period.

This document explains how the British will organize their customs formalities and border controls in three stages and how businesses can prepare for the upcoming changes.

In any event, this will apply irrespective of whether or not there is a UK-EU trade agreement. Only goods with the origin or destination 'Northern Ireland' are excluded. For this purpose, the UK is working on a different regime in line with the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol.

New import requirements for endangered plant and animal species

For the import of endangered plant and animal species listed on the CITES-list (Convention on International Trade in Endangered) list, the following new import requirements will apply from 1 January 2021:

Annexes A and B: An export permit (or re-export certificate) required, issued by the country of export and an import permit issued by APHA.
Annex C: An export permit, re-export certificate or certificate of origin required, issued by the country of export and an import notification on entry into the UK.
Annex D: An import notification on entry into the UK.

In addition, the following requirements must be met:

All CITES-listed plant and animal species must enter the UK through a designated CITES port/point of entry.
Both the EU exporter and the UK importer must apply to the relevant authorities for a CITES permit.
The EU export permit (or re-export certificate) must be endorsed by a customs official on departure from the EU and both the export permit and the import permit/notification must be endorsed by a customs official on entry into the UK.

Receive monthly news updates

Prepare in time for these new requirements if you are trading with the UK. Would you like to stay up to date with the latest news on trade compliance? Sign up now for our free monthly newsletter.

Source: UK Government

24 Jul 2020 at 10:26 am

02 04 24

4 min