FAQs & Resources

There is a comprehensive guide on the HMRC website for importing and exporting.

Or simply give us a call and we can walk you through the process.

Inward Processing Relief (IPR) is a customs regime which allows goods to be imported into the UK for processing without paying Customs Duty and VAT on the initial movement.

Yes, you can. ChannelPorts have extensive experience in building an automatic data exchange between CustomsPro and our clients’ ERP, WM, or other management systems. Our consultants will help you to set up a plan to ensure the best possible result. Our experience shows that automation becomes highly beneficial from about 100 declarations per month. If you’d like to find out more about automation, call us on 01304 203105 or send an e-mail to enquiries@channelports.co.uk

Outward Processing allows traders to temporarily export goods from the UK for processing or repair in an EU country or any other country in the rest of the world. The process enables the trader to claim full OR partial duty relief when the goods are re-imported to the United Kingdom.

CustomsPro covers all UK Ro/Ro ports. For other requirements we are able to support these via ChannelPorts Bureau Service.

PVA allows businesses to declare and recover import VAT on their VAT returns rather than having to pay at the time of import.

Guidance on Postponed VAT Accounting

The words “provenance” and “origin” of goods are often used interchangeably. Nevertheless, they have different meanings. Particularly in the world of customs matters. “Provenance” relates to the customs status of the goods. Are they Union goods (goods that are produced in the EU, or that have already been imported from a non-EU country) or non-Union goods (goods from non-EU countries)? “Origin” refers to where a product is manufactured, produced or grown.

“RoRo” “is an abbreviation of Roll On – Roll Off, a type of ship adapted to transport cargo on wheels.
The cargo enters (rolls on) onto the ship and leaves it (rolls off) on wheels, and is not loaded using e.g. cranes or terminal equipment. In the context of customs clearance, this means that although goods enter the UK on board a ship, they are treated as road transport in “RoRo” ports.

A T2L is a document that is used to prove the status of goods going to special territories of the EU such as Canary Islands.

Please use our contact form if you have any questions and we will contact you at your preferred time.

PVA (Postponed VAT Accounting) is the default method of paying for VAT on CustomsPro.  Alternatively, you can select to use your own Duty Deferment Account. If you do not hold a Duty Deferment Account, ChannelPorts can offer a duty deposit facility whereby you lodge a deposit to cover the anticipated amount of debt due and we will draw down from this deposit in order to settle the duty on your or your client’s behalf, utilising ChannelPorts’ Duty Deferment Account.  As a CustomsPro customer you will have full visibility of your duty deposit via the Accounting facility on CustomsPro.

Commodity codes can be found in the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System, in short, Harmonized System – HS. They specify exactly the type of goods being transported. Using the appropriate code makes it easier to assign the correct Customs tariff to the goods. You can check the codes on the UK government website.

Incoterms are the terms and conditions of delivery of goods between buyer and seller. They describe all obligations, risks and costs involved in a transaction. Incoterms are known and accepted worldwide. They reduce the risk of misunderstandings between all who are involved in the logistics process, because it is clear in advance who is responsible for what. It’s no coincidence Incoterms have to be included on your commercial invoice. The most common Incoterms are : EXW (Ex-Works), DAP (Delivered at Place) and DDP (Delivered Duty Paid).

UKBF (UK Border Force), Plant Health (DEFRA), Trading Standards and all other government departments have access to your cargos information and can stop it in order to do routine checks and prevent illegal items through ports.

A commodity code is a 10-digit number allocated to goods to classify goods. Every item will fall under a commodity code and this dictates the duty rating. It also informs if there are any import or export restrictions. You can find further information on actual commodity codes here.

An EORI is a unique identifier for importers and exporters in the UK issued by the EORI team at HMRC. It is needed to process import and export declarations for traders. If you do not have an EORI and want to start importing or exporting you will need to obtain an EORI as one of the first things you do. The link to do so is below.

https://www.gov.uk/eori

It is the trader’s legal responsibility to ensure declarations are submitted.  Failure to do so could be subject to financial civil penalties imposed on the trader by HMRC under the Customs Civil Penalty (CCP) system.