Customs

HMRC publishes customs agent list, BIFA urges members to get onboard

Press release – May 22nd 2020
 
The British International Freight Association (BIFA) is encouraging its members to ensure that they are included on a list of customs agents and fast parcel operators being compiled and published by HMRC in preparation for January 1, 2021, when customs declarations will be required on goods moving into and out of the EU.
Robert Keen, Director General at BIFA said: “Because the UK has left the …

The post HMRC publishes customs agent list, BIFA urges members to get...

https://theloadstar.com/hmrc-publishes-customs-agent-list-bifa-urges-members-to-get-onboard/

Non-durables showing more resilience as imports continue decline

Chart of the Week: Outbound Tender Volume Index– USA SONAR: CSTM.DG, CSTM.NDG

Maritime import volumes fell through most of May after showing strong signs of recovering after the Chinese New Year (CNY) and COVID-19 inspired trough. The former being an annual event that causes import volumes to drop as much as 30-40%, but this year was deepened and extended thanks to the pandemic. Most imports can be identified as durable and non-durable goods.

Most freight is classified as durable, but...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/non-durables-showing-more-resilience-as-imports-continue-decline

UK companies are missing out on grants for customs forms training

May 18, 2020
The government has set aside £34 million to help up to 250,000 companies that trade with the EU, but the BBC reported recently that only 878 companies have received a total of £17.5 million. Castle Knight Services, a trade consultancy specialising in dealing with the consequences of Brexit, can help local companies to apply for grants and receive training on how to complete customs forms from our expert …

The post UK companies are missing out on grants for customs forms training...

https://theloadstar.com/uk-companies-are-missing-out-on-grants-for-customs-forms-training/

UK Customs Academy needs more money – and it needs more trainees

The UK HMRC’s online Customs Academy is urging the government to widen its financial backing for the agent training scheme to individuals, and to extend the funding beyond its current expiry date of January 2021.
Marco Forgione, director general of the Institute of Export – one of the organisations behind the government-founded academy – said the time was ripe for individuals who have been furloughed or made redundant to apply for Customs …

The post UK Customs Academy needs more money – and it...

https://theloadstar.com/uk-customs-academy-needs-more-money-and-it-need-more-trainees/

Whitehall’s new customs agent academy? ‘It’s all smoke and mirrors’

The freight industry has raised serious doubts over the announcement last month by UK minister Michael Gove of a new “customs agent academy”.
Mr Gove said the government was talking to the forwarding industry about a new academy, but when questioned by The Loadstar, the Cabinet Office declined to give any details.
UK forwarding association BIFA told The Loadstar: “It’s a bit odd that, if such talks are taking place, the trade …

The post Whitehall’s new customs agent academy? ‘It’s all smoke and...

https://theloadstar.com/whitehalls-new-customs-agent-academy-all-smoke-and-mirrors/

Dubai unveils loyalty scheme to lure premium transhipment cargo from Europe

Dubai has launched a loyalty scheme for shippers and freight forwarders in a bid to capture premium “south-south” transhipment cargo from hubs in Europe.
The World Logistics Passport (WLP) is an initiative from Dubai’s Customs World, with the support of DP World, Emirates and Dnata.
Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, group chairman and chief executive of DP World, said: “It incentivises companies and traders to use Dubai’s world-class multimodal facilities in return for …

The post Dubai unveils loyalty...

https://theloadstar.com/dubai-unveils-loyalty-scheme-to-lure-premium-transhipment-cargo-from-europe/

Time running out to apply for UK Brexit training grants

UK freight forwarders have until the end of this week to apply for government funds to train staff and make IT improvements as they prepare for increased levels of post-Brexit customs activities.
In October, the government announced it was making £16m available “for customs intermediaries, traders and hauliers that make customs declarations to help them prepare ahead of Brexit”.
Robert Keen (pictured above), director general of BIFA, the trade association for UK …

The post Time running out to...

https://theloadstar.com/time-running-out-to-apply-for-uk-brexit-training-grants/

HMRC estimate of post-Brexit customs bill for shippers ‘wide of the mark’

A UK government paper that predicts shippers in the UK and Europe could face a £15bn annual bill for post no-deal Brexit administration of customs entries may have been substantially underestimated, claim forwarders.
An impact assessment carried out by Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HRMC), published this week, estimates that UK importers and exporters will make 215 million customs declarations a year if the country leaves the EU without a deal …

The post HMRC estimate of post-Brexit customs...

https://theloadstar.com/hmrc-estimate-of-post-brexit-customs-bill-for-shippers-wide-of-the-mark/

Post-Brexit VAT on overseas parcels would be a ‘no-deal stealth tax’

Further scrutiny is being heaped on the UK government’s Brexit strategy with claims of a “no-deal stealth tax” and calls for special economic status for freight gateways.  
Head of consumer research at Parcelhero David Jinks has slammed the government’s £900m ‘Get Ready for Brexit’ campaign, claiming it provides business with “little new information”.  
He added: “But it does reveal that the £15 VAT threshold on overseas parcels would be quietly scrapped, should there still be …

The post Post-Bre...

https://theloadstar.com/post-brexit-vat-on-overseas-parcels-would-be-a-no-deal-stealth-tax/

Portsmouth is a port looking to diversify as Brexit approaches

Brexit continues to cloud the UK, but amid the uncertainty Portico Shipping, which operates the port of Portsmouth, is looking to diversify operations.  
Until recently, the port’s main business had been fruit, in particular bananas – it handles some 50% of the total consumed in the UK.   
“Thirty million bananas a week from the Caribbean, South Africa,and South America,” operations director Steve Williams told The Loadstar on the sidelines of Multimodal this week.  
“Until 16 months ago, our...

https://theloadstar.com/portsmouth-is-a-port-looking-to-diversify-as-brexit-approaches/

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