Thayngen Border, Switzerland.  customs x-ray machine for smugglers goods.

Border Operating Model – Industry Event

Here is the Border operating Model paper (above).  Not a minute too late, well actually it’s very late, and also not complete.  On first glance details still appear to be lacking and the conceptual aspect to it keeps the nerves jangling.  As we spend the next whatever digesting all 206 pages, Paul Newman from our trade body BIFA wrote today the following:

“Dear Member

Today the Government published the 206 page Border Operating Model , which gives a detailed overview of how goods will be imported and exported between the UK and the EU from the 1st January 2021.  This document should be read in conjunction with previously issued documents such as the UK Tariff and additional, still to be released information, giving more detailed guidance on how processes will function.

In many ways the documents are a realisation that the procedures adopted in the major ports for containerised freight are not appropriate for the high volume traffic flows crossing by Ro-Ro & Rail between the UK and EU.  Whilst many familiar with Rest of the World Traffic will find that much of the documents content is familiar to them, there are specific new processes for providing information to drivers and managing traffic flows which are new and need to be carefully considered.

As BIFA has repeatedly pointed out, the European Haulage sector will have to familiarise itself with significantly different operational requirements, Goods Vehicle Movement System imported goods being moved through ports lacking the space to store cargos and Smartfreight for Ro-Ro exports. The latter will permit hauliers to check that what they are collecting is compliant and can therefore proceed to the ferry port for export, for movements via Dover and Eurotunnel, it would appear that a permit for permission to enter Kent will be generated for HGV traffic.

The document also emphasises the staged approach to implementing these new controls, although dependent on the customs regime, some of the new systems may become applicable earlier than for others.  For instance,  due to the automation of the “Office of Transit” for transit shipments, GVMS will become mandatory for such inbound movements from the 1st January 2021.

Government has also announced that it will be conducting one to one interviews with the top 12,000 traders by value who solely trade with the EU.

Whilst the proposals are a more cohesive approach to managing the UK’s trade flows and regulatory procedures with the EU, it is very concerning that these were not made available to Trade earlier and that some of them are still only at a conceptual stage and detail is lacking.  This will make the timeframes for consultation and then devising the appropriate IT systems extremely challenging.

The other significant omission is that these procedures do not apply to the UK to Northern Ireland trade which many will find to be of particular concern.”

Whilst imports has own easements but still issues come 01.01.21, it’s exports again which we have no clear guidance on.  Together with a new IT system, lorry parks, permits, etc we can now only live in the land of hope, whilst we prepare.

We’ll start to prepare new videos again soon as we feel it’s time now to roll our sleeves up and getbon with it.

Stay tuned

JS