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Border Controls from Jan 1st

Last week the government announced the approach to border controls on GB-EU trade in 2021 and it formally notified the EU that it will not accept or seek an extension to the Transition Period.In recognition of the unprecedented impact that coronavirus has had on all aspects of life, border controls are being introduced in stages, to give businesses more time to prepare. The stages are:

This approach does not apply to the flow of trade between Northern Ireland and Ireland, or between Northern Ireland and GB.To support businesses with the new processes taking effect next year, the government has developed a new £50m package to boost the capacity of customs intermediaries – including customs brokers, freight forwarders and express parcel operators – providing businesses with further support. This funding will support intermediaries with recruitment, training and supplying IT equipment to help handle customs declarations.Rules will also be changed to remove barriers for intermediaries taking on new clients. The government intends to remove the financial liability from intermediaries operating on behalf of their clients and allow parcel operators to continue declaring multiple consignments in a single customs declaration. This will help intermediaries increase their operations.Additionally, the government has committed to building new border facilities in Great Britain for carrying out required checks, as well as providing targeted support to ports to build new infrastructure. They are consulting with ports across the UK to agree what infrastructure is required.This announcement is another important step towards getting the country ready for the end of the Transition Period, but there is still more work to be done by both government and industry to ensure we are prepared for January 2021.