Shippers are being told to “wake up” and stop “sleepwalking” towards the changeover of the UK’s customs infrastructure rather than blaming Brexit or HMRC for the issues they face.
HMRC have implemented the new UK customs infrastructure – Customs Declaration Service (CDS) as they terminate the support for the Customs Handling Imports and Exports Freight Platform (CHIEF).
However, research is showing a mounting concern over the preparedness of importers and exporters for the switch and showed that the industry was tired of changes and to now go back to shippers and advise them of further changes or requirements will once again effect supply chains.
Many have doubt that HMRC will have the capacity to migrate all importers to CDS within the deadline and that the system will be fully functional without any issues.
Importers and Exporters emphasize that urgent attention is required before the switch over to avoid a repeat performance of last year, when traders did not know what they were required to do and when.
The complexity of CDS and the many changes from CHIEF will put strain on supply chains until importers and exporters get used to the new system. However, with the increased volumes of shipments requiring customs clearances due to Brexit, additional charges are now being applied and past onto customers. The worry is that with this new system to ensure customs is completed accurately and on time to avoid delay in supply chains, further additional costs could be introduced by many.
We at Westmond Logistics, have worked closely with HMRC/CDS to ensure that we are prepared for all changes and requirements of the new system. With being one of the largest inputters into the CDS system and having used the CDS system for over a year, we have experience in the new elements required for imports and exports to ensure that our clients don’t suffer any delays to their supply chain.
If you would like to prepare your supply chain for the new changes being introduced by the CDS customs system, contact us today to discuss how we can ensure your compliant and avoid any delays.
Why not check out our related CDS post.
