Customs formalities for export to the United Kingdom
Tariff regimes
Customs clearance of goods There is freedom of movement of goods within the EU. Despite the UK leaving the EU on January 31, 2020, the current import, export and customs regulations will remain in place until December 31, 2020, when the transition period for negotiating possible new trade agreements between the UK and the EU ends. The new rules will apply as of January 1, 2021. As of January 1, 2021, companies will be required to make customs declarations to move goods into and out of the EU, and to do so they will need to obtain an EORI number.
For more information on how to prepare your business during the transition period, please refer to the UK government’s updated guides on the Transition Period and on Import, Export and Customs for Business, as well as the European Commission’s Customs for Business Guide.
An authorization from Customs is required to export goods outside the EU. The Customs office checks the export declaration (which only needs to be brief), may check the goods and authorizes the collection of the goods. Goods are relocated for a maximum period of 20 days (45 days at ports) in warehouses or customs clearance (temporary obligation).
Necessary declarationsThe Customs declaration must contain information on the origin of the goods, tariffs and the value of the goods. For more information, visit the UK Customs website.
Product quality control
Quality control companiesCQI
Organize the transport of goods to and from the United Kingdom.
Main modes of transport97% of the volume of British foreign trade is handled by sea transport; some 500 million tons per year. There are hundreds of well-equipped ports for the transportation of goods. The most important are London, Plymouth, Southampton, Aberdeen, Felixstowe, Dover, and the Peel Ports (Clydeport, Heysham, Liverpool, Manchester and Sheerness). England, Scotland, and Wales are home to more than 80 ports as members of the British Association of Ports and Harbours, which aims to represent and protect its members from market fluctuation and to integrate European and international policies. Domestic connections are handled by national carriers such as KLM UK, Easyjet and British Airways.
The road network is dense and efficient. The United Kingdom is a strong market within road transport, and since the liberalization of the market this sector has grown considerably. The government, through the Ministry of Transportation, has appealed to the private sector to finance the creation and construction of new roads, as well as a toll road system, which will be the next step.
There are several plans to improve the rail infrastructure, such as the modernization of tracks in the west of England and a high-speed connection between the south and the north; a project linking the east and west of the country is also being studied.
Since December 1994, Great Britain has been connected to the European continent through the Canal, operated by the Eurotunnel company and the Eurostar train (Eurotunnel). The British railway system can be consulted at Rail.co.uk.
Spainsur Forwarders SL – www.spainsur-forwarders.com will provide you with all the information you may need and will manage any kind of shipping or receiving you need to/from EU/UK/EU.