Last year under the Border Operating Model (BOM), the Government introduced a phased approach to the new procedures for the movement of goods into and out of the UK, following Brexit. The first phase of such changes came in on 1 January 2021 and the Government put in place staffing, infrastructure and IT to deal with this. There have obviously been problems, but generally, disruption at ports has been kept to a minimum where possible and supply chains have shown to be fairly robust.
When the original timetable was announced, this was based on the impact of COVID, as known at the time. This has clearly lasted longer than anticipated and so the timeframe has been reviewed, following businesses making a case for needing more time to prepare.
Border control processes and revised timetable
Full border control processes will now be introduced on 1 January 2022 and the revised timetable between now and then and beyond, will be as follows:
- Pre-notification requirements for Products of Animal Origin (POAO), certain animal by-products (ABP), and High Risk Food Not Of Animal Origin (HRFNAO) will not be required until 1 October 2021. Export Health Certificate requirements for POAO and certain ABP will come into force on the same date
- Customs import declarations will still be required, but the option to use the deferred declaration scheme, including submitting supplementary declarations up to six months after the goods have been imported, has been extended to 1 January 2022
- Safety and Security Declarations for imports will not be required until 1 January 2022
- Physical Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) checks for POAO, certain ABP, and HRFNAO will not be required until 1 January 2022. At that point they will take place at Border Control Posts
- Physical SPS checks on high risk plants will take place at Border Control Posts, rather than at the place of destination as now, from 1 January 2022
- Pre-notification requirements and documentary checks, including phytosanitary certificates will be required for low risk plants and plant products and will be introduced from 1 January 2022
- From March 2022, checks at Border Control Posts will take place on live animals and low risk plants and plant products
Businesses moving controlled goods into Great Britain, will continue to be ineligible for the deferred customs declaration approach and will be required to complete a full customs declaration when the goods enter Great Britain.