New measures to support customs intermediaries

Following the government's announcement that the transition period will not be extended and controls for importing goods will now apply from July 2021, the HMRC has unveiled a new package of measures to accelerate growth of the UK’s customs intermediary sector. 

A new £50 million support package has been announced to boost the capacity of the customs intermediary sector – including customs brokers, freight forwarders and express parcel operators – providing businesses with further support ahead of the new processes taking effect in July 2021.

This funding will support intermediaries with recruitment, training and supplying IT equipment to help handle customs declarations. Rules will also be changed to remove barriers for intermediaries taking on new clients by adapting the rules around financial liability.  

In total, the government has now made available £84 million to grow the customs intermediary sector to encompass EU trade after 2020.  At the moment, agents cover non-EU trade though many, like parcel companies, do operate in the EU market.
  
The previous £34 million grants fund supported more than 20,000 training courses being undertaken, plus the purchase of 15,000 pieces of IT equipment and software. 
   
The intermediary sector – including customs brokers, freight forwarders and express parcel operators – help businesses to import and export their goods by ensuring the necessary customs paperwork has been completed.   
  
According to the HMRC, the new £50 million funding is one part of the measures to support the customs intermediary sector meet the increased demand it will see from traders at the end of the transition period.

The government also intends to change rules that will remove the financial liability from intermediaries operating on behalf of their clients and allow parcel operators to continue declaring multiple consignments in a single customs declaration. This is sighted to help intermediaries increase their operations.   

Applications for the new funding will be open from July, with the HMRC revealing it will unveil more details in due course.