Just in case you had forgotten about the B word (that’s Brexit), by ignoring it and hoping, I’m afraid it didn’t go away, it’s here and about to conclude with all the changes that will bring, particularly if you are a business and you ship goods abroad.
There are bound to be modifications along the way but at the moment, it is safe to assume that you will need to treat any shipment to any EU member state as you have been for shipments outside the EU. This will now include the Republic of Ireland* Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man; to clear customs, any shipment will need to be declared as Documents5 or Non-Documents. If goods are “Non-Documents” full details must be submitted, these include, the sender of the goods, where they were manufactured (the country), the full name & address of the recipient, the true market value, a description of the contents and if B to B, the commodity codeͷ (if multiple items, all must be listed individually), a reason for the export (could be repair, return of unwanted order, online sale etc), all this information should be included on a commercial invoice which carries your full details including your EORI± Number and that of the addressee and your Company address (or personal if not a business) and you must sign the Invoice adding your printed name & position.
A Commercial Invoice Template, in Word format, is available for download on our website, https://wey-group.co.uk/customer-care/documents-forms/ please complete and if desired, you can print it on to your own letterhead. To keep transit times as low as possible, please email your commercial invoice to us at intl@wey-group.co.uk please use the addressees last name as the subject.
All International shipments can still be booked on our online booking platform, a guide is available online at the same Customer Care location. If you need any help or guidance, please email the International team; intl@wey-group.co.uk and we’ll try to make your life as easy as possible but, please be aware that delays will occur, and these are totally out of our hands; the amount of consignments crossing into the EU will remain at a high level and with the necessity for Customs to check and allow entry having calculated duties & taxes will take time and a significant additional resource at any border-crossing or entry point. Any shipment that is not accompanied by the correct paperwork and customs declarations may incur additional charges and can only be held for a very limited time whilst missing information is sought. Any shipment and/or paperwork that is not correctly declared may be returned to the sender at additional costs.
*When booking to the Republic of Ireland, you will need to treat this as an International destination and no-longer a domestic, Express & Road services will still be available but tariffs to Ireland will change from 1st January and any agreed rates will be subject to review without prior notice.
5Documents must not be confused with “printed matter”, a document is a letter, agreement or contract etc, something that is directed and relevant to an individual or a business, company or group, “Documents” cannot be used to describe any works of art, magazines, books or other publications.
ͷShippers will need to find the right Commodity Codes for the goods being sent. Further information and codes can be found at https://www.gov.uk/trade-tariff
± EORI Numbers are needed to move goods across International borders, currently, EORI Numbers start with GB followed by nine digits, the sender of the goods and not the courier needs this registration number, you can apply at: https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/customs/register-for-cds/isle-of-man