HMRC has issued guidance to UK businesses that import or export goods with the EU in the unlikely event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal. The letter outlines three steps that need to be taken to ensure trade with the EU can continue in the event of a no-deal Brexit:
- Register for a UK economic operation registration and identification (EORI) number, which would be needed to continue to import or export goods within the EU after 29 March;
- Decide whether a customs agent should be used to make import or export declarations, or whether the company should make the declarations themselves using specialist software;
- Contact the organisation that moves their goods to find out whether they will need to be supplied with additional information to enable the completion of safety and security declarations, or whether the business will need to submit these declarations themselves.
The letter concludes by saying, “we’ll write to you again to let you know what further actions you’ll need to take and when.”
The full copy of the letter can be seen here.