Import Procedures

S&H Core Courses

Our full day and 2-day S&H favourites are here to deliver a broader knowledge on either a more advanced subject or coveringan a range of subjects at a beginner level. These full day courses are always hosted live, to allow for interaction and questions, they can be held face to face or in a virtual classroom environment.



Introduction to Customs Procedures

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Focus On Courses

Channelling our expert knowledge on a specific subject to deliver a in-depth training session. These half and full day training courses are aimed at delegates with a basic understanding of customs procedures and international trade.


Focus On: Northern Ireland - The Movement of Goods

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Technical Workshops

Are you looking to learn a particular skill? Our technical workshops cover a range of topics and aim to enable the delegates to come away with a practical skill, such as how to complete an export entry or knowing how to classify goods. You can expect to spend some time in breakout rooms when learning in the virtual classroom to work on practical examples of what has been covered in the presentation.


Customs Warehousing Explained - Technical Workshop

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Face to Face Courses

All of our Face to Face training courses are delivered in a Covid-19 secure training room. The safety of our trainers & clients is of upmost importance to us. Our Face to Face courses will be limited to a maximum of 10 delegates.


Customs Warehousing Explained - Technical Workshop

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About Our Courses

Covering all aspects of the import process, these courses range from the simple basics of how to complete an import customs declaration, to a more detailed look at the HMRC CHIEF computer system and its replacement, the Customs Declaration Service (CDS), right through to comprehensive in-depth workshops, dealing with the subject of import procedures.


Don't forget that Strong and Herd can also provide you with bespoke in-house training to suit your specific training needs. Simply contact us to discuss your complete requirements.

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FAQ's

  • My boss would like to know the broad category of processes we can receive import duty relief on when we bring goods in from outside the EU?

    According to UK Customs, the following seven processes may come under a duty relief regime, but remember you must understand the duty relief procedure fully as entitlement is generally dependent on certain conditions being met and the procedure followed. For further information use Volume 1 of the Tariff or the Trade Tariff on GOV.UK.


    • Re-imported goods either re-imported unaltered or after process abroad (Notices 236 and 235);
    • Temporary admission (Notice 3001+ https://www.gov.uk/guidance/temporary-admission)
    • Reliefs for goods for specified descriptions or goods imported or used in specified circumstances, eg charities, rejected imports, etc;
    • Goods relieved of customs duty unconditionally, including education, scientific and cultural materials;
    • Goods relieved from Customs duty and VAT, eg documents, printed matter, advertising material
    • Goods imported for process and re-export or release for free circulation (Notice 3001)
    • End Use Relief on certain named goods (Notice 3001) 
  • If items are brought into the UK for repair from the USA and the Importer of Record does not have an IP authorisation are there any schemes they could utilise to reduce the VAT and duty?

    Under the UK/EU import duty relief schemes any EORI registered company (formerly known as the VAT number) can apply for Inward processing relief (IP) at the time of arrival of the goods under the simplified procedure (called Authorisation by Customs Declaration) covered by CPC 51.00.001 and Economic Code ECO02 for repair (but the goods must not be replaced). This suspends both duty and VAT on condition that a customs guarantee is in place to cover the amount, otherwise the amount must be paid and reclaimed later. The maximum usage of this system is 3 times in a 12 month period or £500k of goods value whichever is reached first. The application request is made on the C88/SAD import entry in Box 44. This gives 6 months for the repair and on export a Bill of Discharge BOD3 must be sent to the National Import Reliefs Unit (NIRU) in Belfast showing the export entry number under CPC 31.51.000.

  • We bring in textiles and clothing from Singapore and currently most of it incur a duty rate of 12%. We understand that the EU has a Free Trade Agreement with Singapore and we asked our suppliers if they could issue preference statement so we can claim a lower import duty rate. They have come back and confirmed that some of the goods they ship to us do qualify under the FTA but others don’t, but they have said that there isn’t much point them making these declarations yet as the duty hasn’t changed. I thought FTAs always meant that the customs duty rates became zero. Is this something to do with the UK leaving the EU in January 2021, are we excluded from the Agreement?

    The FTA between the EU and Singapore FTA did come into force on 21st November 2019 and, while the UK is in the Implementation Period though we are not a full member of the EU all EU Trade Agreements apply to the UK, so no this has nothing to do with Brexit. What we often don’t appreciate is that Free Trade Agreements do not always make trade “free”, they are negotiated deals that affect each party slightly differently dependent on their own international trade policies and priorities. With regard to the agreement between the EU and Singapore there is a staged reduction of duty rates itemised in staging categories set out both in the Union's and the Singapore Schedule of Tariffs. The plan is that customs duties will be reduced over a 5-year period. On the EU Schedule clothing (Chapter 62) will become zero-duty during Stage 5 (21st November 2023). Your supplier isn’t quite right though, there has been a reduction in customs duty for clothing in year one: the standard tariff of 12% become a preference rate of 10%.