Brexit has been a fact for over a year now. Companies exporting to the United Kingdom (UK) changed from an indoor to an outdoor importer on January 1, 2021. The procedures for imports from the European Union (EU) were known from this date. British import legislation is being developed and expanded step by step using the Border Operating Model.

Evofenedex’s member advisors are still dealing with new Brexit questions every week. They light up three again. Questions about the specific country code on the UK import declaration, mandatory certificates when performing work in the UK and plastic packaging.

Q: since 1 January 2022, the UK import declaration must include the country code of the country of shipment instead of the EU. Can I still rely on EU origin for preferential use?

A: “for statistical reasons, when importing into the UK, an import declaration must indicate the specific member state and not the EU. This country code does not affect the assessment of the correct use of preferential tariffs with EU origin. You can therefore continue to rely on EU origin for preferential use.”

Q: do we need to have a phytosanitary certificate for temporary export of our used agricultural machinery for the purpose of carrying out work in/to the UK?

A: “without having specific knowledge about your machines, it is likely that they will fall under the high priority goods (used agricultural and forestry machinery) in the UK. If this is indeed the case, phytosanitary requirements will apply to (temporary) exports to the UK as of 1 January 2022. If the machines are covered by these regulated products, a phytosanitary document must be requested from the Dutch food and Consumer Product Safety authority (NVWA), which you must be able to present upon import into the UK. If this document is required for your machines, you can check with the NVWA.”

Q: What will change for my export to the UK in the field of plastic packaging as of 1 april 2022 with the Plastic Packaging Tax?

A: “the question of whether you are responsible for the Plastic Packaging Tax depends on your role within the production process. If you manufacture or import 10 tons or more plastic packaging within a period of 12 months, you may need to register for the tax. For details, we refer companies to the UK government.”