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The worst has happened! your goods have been held at customs… this means that border force have an issue with your import/export. This post will try to help shed some light on the process, common reasons goods get held, how to resolve the issues and how to ensure it doesn’t happen in the first place.

Goods are typically held when they fail to comply with local legislation… such as the lack of an EORI number but I’m sure you’ve worked that part out! Held goods are usually down to missing or inaccurate information or documentation.

A missing packing list or commercial invoice-this can be a really simple bit of information that is crucial to a smooth transit of goods, without that customs cannot identify the package contents or where it’s going.

An unclear or inaccurate goods description- can also cause problems, if customs cannot distinguish what your goods are effectively they may be held for further inspection to figure out exactly what’s in there!

All goods that are imported/exported must be given an accurate valuation and a correct commodity (HS) code, if this valuation is not accurate then customs may choose to hold your shipment to ensure no tax avoidance or other issues are taking place.

Unpaid taxes- goods can often be held until VAT, duties or other outstanding customs fees are paid. These payments can be handled by the sender (DDP-Delivered Duty Paid) alternatively this can be paid by the receiver (DAP-Delivered At Place).

Prohibited/restricted items- Some items may require special licences, permits or require certification, this can cause extra complication and with certain goods mean more initial paperwork needs to be carried out. A good example of this would be animals or animal products which require an Export Health Certificate (EHC) something we spoke about in a blog a few months back. Which you can read here.

Security Inspections-Shipment can be randomly selected for physical inspections or x-ray scanning to make sure they are compliant with UK law.

If this part all feels a bit confusing then do give us a call! we specialise in cold chain import/export!

If you work in transport you’ve most likely experienced groupage by now-but what exactly is it & how does it compare to single consignment?

Groupage is where small-medium sized shipments from multiple customers are transported in a single truck or container allowing for shared shipping costs.

This is different to a traditional single consignment where a single supplier would pay for the use of the whole vehicle or container.

The main benefit to groupage is a significant reduction in Co2 emissions and substantial cost reductions. However, it can lead to more complications at the border and reduce the speed at which your goods are delivered.

With multiple consignments comes multiple pick up & drop off locations.

which increases the time it takes for goods to get from A to B

To summarise- groupage is great for SME’s and any manufactures who produce multiple different products in small quantities as it improves efficiency and reduces costs.

If you want any further advice please do get in touch via the button bellow.