The government lately streamlined its Border Operating Model (BOM) document, which provides useful, plain-English information on how to navigate thepost-Brexit border arrangements, including those for airfreight.
With European Union (EU) goods now treated as Rest of World goods since January 1, there have been significant changes to customs control conditions.
And, as explained in the BOM document, under the new conditions, all locales that grease the lading and unloading of freight must now hold a customs blessing which demonstrates they’ve sufficient compliance installations, customs control processes, point security, record keeping, health and safety measures for HMG staff and HMG access to amenities.
Previous to January 1, it was anticipated that the maturity of airfields that handle freight from outside the EU were formerly approved as designated Customs & Excise airfields, with the applicable structure and processes demanded to meet the new conditions to EU freight formerly in place.
Some fields/ airfields – similar as lower airdromes – were categorised asnon-Customs & Excise airport/ airfields but were permitted to operate a Certificate of Agreement (CoA) since January 1. Still, from January 1, 2022, any field that receives freight from, or dispatches freight to, locales outside of the UK will need to be designated as a Customs and Excise field.
As a result,non-Customs & Excise airfields/ fields presently operating on a CoA will no longer be suitable to handle freight unless they seek further blessing or come approved as a Customs & Excise designed field, meeting the norms for full customs controls.
Also mentioned within the BOM document is the termination of Flight Exchanges and the suggestion that to avoid UK duties, dealers might want to consider using Customs Transit.
The document also goes on to explain the movement of goods under the Common Conveyance Convention (CTC).
In the view of Logistics UK, this information is timely and useful, still it also indicates the challenge that Brexit continues to pose to the air weight system.
Logistics UK is working with government on briefings through EU stakeholder groups and business networks to support this, and is confident there should be minimum, if any, dislocation to state weight in January 2022.
As shown in the document, the airfreight sector is largely complex, and while it has acclimated to meet the new Brexit arrangements since leaving the EU, Logistics UK is encouraging all members of the sector, and all involved in the force chain, to read, and continue reading, the BOM to insure they’re completely informed to allow the smooth movement of goods across borders.