Business News
Preparing for the end of the EU transition period
By Jessica Brookes
changes to trading in more than four decades. After years of negotiations and
A
political upheaval, on 1 January, 2021 the UK’s Brexit transition period will end with the European Union (EU). That means that the UK will leave the EU’s Customs Union and Single Market, and will no longer be able to trade under their rules, which include free movement of goods, services and people. After the transition period ends,
exporters will be required to fill out key pieces of documentation paperwork to transmit goods into the EU. Mandy Haque (pictured), director
of the International Business Hub at Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC), has put numerous contingency plans in place to prepare the Chamber’s documentation team for an anticipated, extreme surge in demand. She said: “Here at the
international department we have taken steps to ensure the team are fully trained to deliver the new service of customs declarations through ChamberCustoms (see Customs Declarations story, right), and that we are ready to deliver all of the extra carnets (see ATA carnets story, opposite page) that will be needed for any temporary movements of goods to Europe, which have never been required before. We have also committed to extra staff resource by employing through the apprentice scheme with our patrons South and City College, as well as training a selection of our existing Chamber staff from the wider business to process documents. “We have also employed a new
international trade training manager to support the delivery of training to our importers and exporters as well as guiding them with funding submissions to upskill their own teams to be ready for Brexit.” One of those members of Chamber staff trained up to help process documents is Carina Jocher-Wright, translations key accounts executive at the Chamber.
Prepared: The Chamber’s documentation team including (from left), Dave Harris, James Paddock, Abby Millard, Jonathan Crosbie and Carina Jocher- Wright
n army of Chamber staff have been busy preparing for the biggest set of
Customs Declarations Customs Declarations is a process most
crucial to exporters, which will be essential to shipping goods across the EU after the transition period ends. A Customs Declarations process is used to communicate to the relevant authorities the origin of a product and tariffs. Abby Millard (pictured),
She has been working with the documentation team for months, and will likely become an integral part of the team processing documents in January. She explained why her new,
anticipated temporary role, is crucial: “I can certify various different export documents and I am looking forward to assisting the team at an anticipated busy time as well as our existing and new customers.”
6 CHAMBERLINK December 2020/January 2021
documentation officer at the Chamber, leads on processing the documents. She said: “This process is necessary because it enables the authorities to calculate how much duty is payable, and what restrictions could apply to the goods being shipped. It is essential that this declaration is filled in correctly, otherwise the exporter or importer could face demurrage charges and even accusations of fraud. “Following Brexit, the UK will no longer be a part of the EU’s Single
Market, meaning that all goods being shipped from the UK to an EU country will have to be accompanied by a Customs Declaration.” Due to the anticipated demand in Customs Declarations, the Chamber’s newly established ChamberCustoms service will fill in these declarations, if requested by businesses.
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