UK customs brokers play a critical role in international trade by ensuring the smooth movement of goods across borders while complying with customs regulations. Their responsibilities include:
1. Customs Clearance
- Preparing and submitting customs declarations for imports and exports;
- Advising on the classification of goods under the correct commodity codes;
- Advising on customs valuation in accordance with the World Trade Organisation’s Customs Valuation Agreement;
- Advising on rules of origin, and providing appropriate administrative statements to claim tax waivers in accordance with the underlying trade agreement;
- Advising on the use of postponed accounting for import VAT and registration and use of the CDS Portal to collect financial statements;
- Facilitating the payment of duties, VAT, and other taxes.
2. Regulatory Compliance
- Customs brokers conduct due diligence to combat supply chain fraud and ensure that the use of GB EORI and VAT numbers is appropriately conducted;
- Ensuring businesses comply with UK and international customs laws;
- Advising on use of special procedures such as transit, temporary admission, inward processing, outward processing, customs warehousing and assisting with applications by declaration or in full;
- Advising on market conformity and providing contact information for relevant government and local departments, and access to appropriate trade portals;
- Handling documentation for controlled or restricted goods.
3. Customs Software and Port Badge Subscriptions
- Customs agencies have multiple port badge subscriptions as they benefit from economies of scale – this saves significant subscriptions sums for businesses
- Customs agencies used dedicated software providers – for example Alinea Customs use Descartes – a world leading global software system, providing our clients with the quality assurance that data is protected in accordance with ISO 27001 certification, an international standard for information security management, and archived for review on request, and protected by multiple back-up servers;
- Customs agencies can raise and close transit documents.
4. Supply Chain Efficiency
- Customs brokers reduce delays at ports and borders by pre-clearing shipments; and
- Liaising with HMRC, border authorities, and other regulatory bodies;
- Assisting businesses with post-Brexit customs requirements, including GB EORI and VAT registrations.
5. Trade Facilitation & Consultancy
- Customs agents provide professional advisory on customs procedures and international trade regulations; and are skilled in
- Supporting businesses in adapting to new trade policies, such as those arising from free trade agreements, and domestic and international laws. Customs regulations rapidly shift and fluctuate – from the introduction of trade quotas and sanctions, to transport obligations and border controls on certain items- Alinea Customs’ dedicated customs brokerage team have senior legal qualifications which enables our clients to remain compliant.
- Report-writing addressing international trade policy and potential shifts in government agenda, in order to assist corporations with supply-chain planning, forecasting and risk-management
- Advising on customs compliance when exporting to the European Union; and
- Providing duty optimisation strategies to reduce costs.
6. Representation & Risk Management
- Acting as an intermediary between businesses and HMRC.
- Assisting with customs audits and dispute resolution.
- Ensuring accurate record-keeping to comply with legal requirements.
- Clients benefit from access to a contact list which spans across ports, ETSFs, government departments, Border Force and Port Health authorities, ensuring that any inspections or enquiries are dealt with on a rapid basis.
UK customs brokers, such as Alinea Customs, are essential for businesses that trade internationally, offering expertise which spans regulatory compliance, domestic and international law, finance, and administration to navigate complex customs procedures efficiently and cost-effectively.
If you would like to learn more about customs compliance and the role of brokers in international trade we would recommend to study our course Foundational Training in UK Customs Compliance.
If your commercial and corporate organisation is seeking to appoint a customs brokerage, please contact our team: customs@alineacustoms.com or call +44 (0) 207 101 4242. We are located in City of London, and welcome pre-booked appointments. Contact our team to review your international trade operations on an in-depth basis.
