New trade arrangements with the EU

From first January 2021, there will be new trade arrangements with the EU. Businesses that are registered in Great Britain and trade with the EU and internationally will need to take action so that they are ready for this change.

We wanted to give you an update as there are only two months left before this change will be enforced.

Letters have been sent by the HMRC to these businesses, if you have not received a letter then we suggest that you contact them directly.

The letters explain what you need to do to prepare for the new process of moving goods between Great Britain and the EU. Some steps that you need to take shown below:

• Make sure you have a UK Economic Operator Registration and Identification (EORI) number
• Decide how you will make your customs declarations
• Check if your imported goods are eligible for staged import controls

It is important to note that these steps need to be taken whether the UK government secures a free trade agreement with the EU or not.

Some changes that you need to be aware of are shown below.

• If you send goods from Great Britain to customers in the EU, you will be responsible for completing export declarations.
• If you import goods from the EU that are not on the controlled goods list (e.g. animal products alcohol tobacco or firearms) you will need to make declarations.
• From 1st July 2021, all companies moving goods will have to make declarations and pay the relevant tariffs at the time that the goods are moved.

Businesses often struggled to make their own declarations, and they use other organisations such as freight forwarding companies and fast parcel operators to do this on their behalf.  If you need support from these types of organisations it is essential to contact them as soon as possible to secure the services that you need, so you can continue to trade in the new year.

If you need any further support about the new trade arrangements with the EU, you can contact us directly.

You can call 01623 490 120 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..