Please see the latest Business Readiness bulletin below.
The UK has left the EU, and the Brexit transition period comes to an end this year, in 16 days time. Take action now to get ready for new rules from January 2021. This bulletin is issued by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and provides the latest information for businesses.
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Checking a Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) is ready to cross the border
The ‘Check an HGV is ready to cross the border service’ can be used to apply for a Kent Access Permit, and to check if you have the paperwork you need to cross the UK border in an HGV.
This service can be used by HGVs that weigh less than 7.5 tonnes, and HGVs of any weight that are going to the EU, but are not going via the Port of Dover or the Eurotunnel. You will require paperwork to cross the border even if the HGV is not carrying goods or if it is only carrying post.
The ‘Check an HGV is ready service’ is available in English, Russian, Welsh, German, Spanish, French, Dutch, Polish and Romanian.
For more information and to use the service, click here.
Northern Ireland specific guidance
NEW: Moving qualifying goods from Northern Ireland to the rest of the UK: Your goods will be qualifying Northern Ireland goods from 1 January 2021, if they are in free circulation in Northern Ireland – that means, not under a customs procedure before you move them from Northern Ireland to Great Britain. For more information, click here.
NEW: UK Trader Scheme launched to support business moving goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland: The New UK Trader Scheme (UKTS) will help ensure traders don’t pay tariffs on the movement of goods into Northern Ireland from Great Britain, where those goods remain in the UK’s customs territory. For more information about what businesses need to do before their first movement of goods after 1 January 2021, click here.
NEW: Apply for authorisation for the UK Trader Scheme if you bring goods into Northern Ireland from 1 January 2021: New guidance has been issued. Find out how to get authorised to declare goods you bring into Northern Ireland, not ‘at risk’ of moving to the EU, so that EU duty will not be payable on those goods. For more information, click here.
UPDATED: Trading and moving goods in and out of Northern Ireland from 1 January 2021: Guidance on how to prepare if you trade and move goods in and out of Northern Ireland from 1 January 2021, has been updated with information about where there may be changes to some processes; bringing goods into Northern Ireland from Great Britain and from outside the EU; what you need to do if you import goods into Northern Ireland and, want to declare your goods not ‘at risk'; making declarations for bringing or receiving goods into Northern Ireland; transporting and carrying goods if you're a haulier or a carrier and moving goods under transit. For more information, click here.
New and Updated Guidance
Importing and Exporting
NEW: Registering to make an entry summary declaration in Great Britain: Guidance has been issued on using the S&S GB Service if you import goods into Great Britain and need to make an entry summary declaration. For more information, click here.
NEW: Registering to make an entry summary declaration in Great Britain: service availability and issues. Guidance to check the availability and any issues affecting the register to make an entry summary declaration in Great Britain service has been issued. For more information, click here.
UPDATED: Exporting excise goods to the EU from 1 January 2021: Guidance on changes to exporting and declaring excise goods (alcohol, tobacco and certain oils) from 1 January 2021, has been updated with information regarding declaring a change of destination for goods in flight. For more information, click here.
UPDATED: Importing and exporting plants and plant products from 1 January 2021: Guidance on how to trade plants and plant products, including trees, inside and outside the EU, and between Great Britain Northern Ireland from 1 January 2021, has been updated. Updates include:
For more information, click here.
Moving Goods
NEW: List of Ports using the Goods Vehicle Movement Service: To find out which locations are using the Goods Vehicle Movement Service from 1 January, click here.
UPDATED: Rail Transport from 1 January 2021: Guidance to help prepare industry to run domestic and cross-border rail operations from 1 January 2021, has been updated with information about train driving licenses and safety certificates. For more information, click here.
UPDATED: Kent traffic management on the M20 motorway to Dover and Eurotunnel: Guidance has been updated to include information on driver welfare. For more information, click here.
UPDATED: Driving in the EU from 1 January 2021: Lorry and goods vehicles drivers: Guidance on what UK lorry and goods vehicle drivers need to do to drive professionally in the EU from 1 January 2021, has been updated with information about the Check an HGV is ready to cross the border’ service. For more information, click here.
UPDATED: What UK goods vehicle operators need to do to carry out international road haulage from 1 January 2021: Guidance has been updated to include information about inland border facilities and the “Check an HGV is ready to cross the border service”. For more information, click here.
Trade
NEW: Summary of the UK-Egypt Association Agreement: Information on the Association Agreement with Egypt, replicating the effects of the EU-Egypt Association Agreement has been issued. For more information, click here.
An up-to-date list of existing UK trade agreements with non-EU countries is available here. Latest updates include links to the Egypt trade agreement and the signing of the UK-Mexico agreement.
Marketing Goods
NEW: Supplementary protection certificates from 1 January 2021: On 1 January 2021, there will be some changes to how the supplementary protection certificate (SPC) system operates. This guidance explains the changes, and what you need to do differently as a result. To view this, click here.
UPDATED: Intellectual Property after 1 January 2021: Guidance on international trademarks and designs has been updated. For more information, click here.
Sector Specific Guidance
Life Sciences
NEW: Register medical devices to place on the market from 1 January 2021: Guidance has been issued about how to register your medical devices with MHRA for markets in GB and NI from 1 January 2021. For more information, click here.
NEW: supplying investigational medicinal products to Northern Ireland from 1 January 2021: Guidance on what you need to do to supply IMPs from GB to NI has been issued. For more information, click here.
UPDATED: Supplying authorised medicines to Northern Ireland from 1 January 2021: Guidance on what you need to do to supply authorised medicines from GB to NI has been updated to include information concerning the supply of authorised medicines until 31 December 2021. For more information, click here.
Food and Drink
UPDATED: Exporting or moving composite food products, live animals and animal products to the EU or Northern Ireland from 1 January 2021: Guidance has been updated with information about restricted and prohibited goods.
For more information about live animals and animal products, click here.
For more information about composite food products, click here.
UPDATED: Importing, exporting or moving live fish and shellfish from 1 January 2021: Additional information for the preparation for the end of the Transition Period has been added. For more information, click here.
Webinars and Podcasts
With just 16 days to go until the end of the transition period, you can keep up to date by attending live webinars to help prepare your business. You can also access sector-specific webinars about how to prepare your business here.
Trading with the EU: A video series has been released that explains what businesses need to do to be ready for 1 January 2021. These videos cover what businesses need to know about exports and imports, customs, commodity codes and controlled goods. To view the videos, click here.
Other
Notice from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC)
Please be advised that the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has released an advisory relating to compromise of SolarWinds and FireEye. It can be accessed on the NCSC website here.
SolarWinds, specifically their Orion IT system management platform, has been compromised and may be used for onward attacks against systems connected to the product. An attacker has been able to add a malicious, unauthorised modification to SolarWinds Orion products which allows them to send administrator-level commands to any affected installation.
This incident has been openly covered by various media outlets.
Please take time to review the advice provided above and see if you or key elements of your organisation (such as any managed service providers you are connected to) are affected. The NCSC guidance has detailed information that will help you find out if you have an affected system and the immediate steps you should take.
