UK Customs Authorities ‘Failing’
From the BBC, Members of Parliament are arguing that HM Revenue and Customs and the UK Border Agency are faltering in their diligence to monitor imports into the United Kingdom.
Although comparisons were difficult, MPs suggested the amount of goods physically searched at UK borders compared “unfavourably” to the rest of Europe – with 2-3% of items examined against an EU average of 9%.
Efforts to shift the emphasis away from physical searches to documentary checks and audits of traders, designed to speed up the customs process, have proved unsuccessful, they said.
Checks on documents had fallen “significantly”, MPs found, while the number of company audits was halved between 2005 and 2008.
MPs noted the challenge of implementing complex EU customs rules, which divide banned and restricted goods into 34 categories and operate 30 different regimes for firms to defer or reduce payment of duties.
Many traders struggled to comply with the rules while non-compliance, particularly among new traders, had increased.
Their defense is that they use a risk intelligence-based approach that stops shipments only when they need to; and that comparison to other countries is not useful considering the wide range of checks other countries perform on cargo.
To read more, check out the BBC article, “MPs Say Customs Service Failing.”
Ensure Customs Compliance
With these reports of inadequate cargo checks, UK Customs could be headed for additional scrutiny and an increase in delays. Make sure that your exports to the UK are compliant by automating your exports.
Learn more about implementing an export compliance management system.
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