The Border Target Operating Model: August 2023

Question 1

1. Executive Summary

Accepted Answer

1.1 Background and context for this document

In April 2023, the UK Government published a draft ‘Border Target Operating Model’, applicable to imports from all countries into Great Britain, including the EU. In it, we outlined how our proposals sought to balance the need for effective border controls with the need to support businesses with import processes that are as simple as possible. We explained that with our new approach, we would harness our new freedom to set our own border policy and integrate the technological transformations set out in our 2025 UK Border Strategy.

There were over 10,000 registrations for workshops and seminars over the engagement period and over 200 stakeholders provided written feedback. This feedback welcomed many of the innovative elements of the model, and the importance of implementing robust security and biosecurity controls. Vets and the agricultural sector recognised the growing threat from animal and plant disease, such as African Swine Fever & Xylella fastidiosa, the potential economic and environmental consequences of these threats, and the importance of robust controls to combat them. However, businesses and the border industry highlighted where further detail was needed to prepare for the model, and set out a range of challenges that implementation of the new model would present. These were focussed both on new complexity and cost that would be introduced into the supply chain, as well as the timing of the introduction of new controls. In particular, businesses highlighted that their supply-chains would need time to adapt to new controls. This was particularly important in relation to the requirement for health certification which will require action from EU suppliers.

In response to this feedback we have decided to push back some of the implementation milestones for the Border Target Operating Model in order to give businesses more time to prepare. We will implement the Border Target Operating Model from January 2024 onwards, beginning with the introduction of health certification on relevant EU goods. This will bring the launch of the Border Target Operating Model closer to the upcoming simplification of border requirements through the new UK Single Trade Window. We have also sought to respond to stakeholder feedback to improve the wider model and provide further detail on its implementation.

This document sets out our final plans for a new Border Target Operating Model that incorporates and responds to feedback from stakeholders wherever possible. It has been developed with further collaboration across the UK, Scottish and Welsh Governments, and engagement with officials from the devolved administration in Northern Ireland. It is designed to set out to importers, the border industry and wider stakeholders the processes they will need to go through in order to import goods once the Border Target Operating Model is implemented. This sits alongside the ongoing review of customs declarations announced at Spring Budget 2023, which is exploring potential simplifications for both import and export customs declarations.

1.2 A new model for imports

The Border Target Operating Model sets out our new approach to Safety and Security controls (applying to all imports), and Sanitary and Phytosanitary controls (applying to imports of live animals, germinal products, animal products, plants and plant products) at the border. It sets out how controls will be delivered through simplification, digitisation and the UK’s new Single Trade Window.

For Safety and Security controls, the new model will minimise trader burdens and maintain border security while remaining aligned with international standards. Under our new model, we will:

reduce the Safety and Security data requirements down from the current 37-field dataset to 20 mandatory fields. There are also up to 8 conditional fields, which may need to be completed in certain circumstances. The remaining 9 fields will be optional;
make it easier to submit Safety and Security data through the UK Single Trade Window;
improve the use of data by the UK Government to remove duplication (for example by allowing the use of Transit Security Accompanying Documents in place of separate Safety and Security and Transit declarations).
remove Safety and Security requirements for the following categories of movement: certain outbound freeport goods leaving Great Britain, outbound transit for Great Britain and fish from UK waters landed in non-UK ports.

For Sanitary and Phytosanitary controls, our approach under the new model will have the following three key elements:

A new global risk-based approach: live animals, germinal products, products of animal origin, animal by-products, plants and plant products will be categorised as high, medium or low risk, with controls appropriately weighted against the risks posed both by the commodity and the country of origin;
Simplified and digitised health certificates: we will digitise phytosanitary certificates from 2023 with take-up depending on our trade partners’ readiness. We published simplified export health certificates in spring 2023 for animal products, and will deliver digitised export health certificates in 2024 leading to more automated use of data;
Use trust: we will pilot schemes with industry where authorised importers of plants, plant products and some animal products may be eligible for facilitations to make importing easier. To qualify they will need to provide the enhanced assurances and evidence that they are meeting the regulatory requirements and standards.

The development of the UK Single Trade Window will underpin this new approach to controls. When fully operational, this will provide a single digital gateway for users to provide the data needed to trade and apply for licences and authorisations for trusted trader schemes. We recognise the complexity of the food-supply chain and will strive to ensure the introduction of new controls to mitigate biosecurity risks does not negatively impact the resilience or reliability of the UK’s food supply chain which is important to consumers. We appreciate that businesses and their supply chains will need to adapt their business models in response to the introduction of these new controls, and particularly the new Sanitary and Phytosanitary regime. We will support them wherever possible to do so. Businesses that use different models of groupage will be most impacted. We have worked with them over the engagement period to develop approaches that will facilitate groupage as far as possible. These are set out in Section 1.3.

1.3 Timeline for implementation

After engaging with stakeholders and considering the implementation challenges they raised, alongside the need to manage biosecurity risks, we have adapted the timeline we originally published in the draft version of the Border Target Operating Model in order to give businesses and their supply-chains more time to prepare.

We will introduce the new model in a phased approach that balances several factors: the need for effective management of biosecurity, public health, food safety and security risks; the need to give businesses sufficient time to prepare; the need to ensure supply chains have time to adapt and are not disrupted; and the speed at which we can work with stakeholders to build the systems and infrastructure required under the new model, including the rollout of the UK Single Trade Window. We will make any required changes to legislation to support delivery of the Border Target Operating Model when parliamentary time allows. A full implementation timeline can be found in Section 4.

We intend to implement the model through three major milestones (for goods moving from the island of Ireland, refer to Section 2 of this document):

31 January 2024 - The introduction of health certification on imports of medium risk animal products, plants, plant products and high risk food and feed of non-animal origin from the EU. The removal of pre notification requirements for low risk plant and plant products from the EU.
30 April 2024 - The introduction of documentary and risk-based identity and physical checks on medium risk animal products, plants, plant products and high risk food and feed of non-animal origin from the EU. Existing inspections of high risk plants/plant products from the EU will move from destination to Border Control Posts. We will also begin to simplify imports from non-EU countries. This will include, the removal of health certification and routine checks on low risk animal products, plants, plant products from non-EU countries as well as reduction in physical and identity check levels on medium-risk animal products from non-EU countries.
31 October 2024 - The requirement for Safety and Security declarations for imports into Great Britain from the EU or from other territories where the waiver applies will come into force from 31 October 2024 as set out in the original Target Operating Model. Alongside this, we will introduce a reduced dataset for imports and use of the UK Single Trade Window will remove duplication where possible across different pre-arrival datasets – such as pre-lodged customs declarations.

Importers and their supply chains should already be preparing for the first milestone, with more time now available to ensure readiness. They should begin to prepare for the second and third milestones now.

We will publish further detail to support businesses and their supply chains to prepare. We will publish this detail through supplementary annexes to the Border Target Operating Model, and further guidance, that will be published on GOV.UK. A timeline for the publication of this further detail can be found in Section 4. We intend to work closely with importers and the border industry and will create a business readiness group that we will use to continue consultation with businesses on the further guidance and support they require to prepare.

1.4 How this applies to Irish goods and Northern Ireland Qualifying Goods arriving from Ireland

For goods moving from Great Britain into Northern Ireland, arrangements are set out under the recently agreed Windsor Framework. The Windsor Framework delivers a new system of green and red lanes at Northern Ireland ports for movements from Great Britain, in order to protect the UK’s internal market, whilst also providing reassurances on goods destined for the EU. At the same time, Northern Ireland businesses and citizens will continue to be able to purchase goods from the EU with no new barriers. None of the additional checks or controls set out in this Border Target Operating Model will apply to imports into Northern Ireland from the EU, providing Northern Ireland traders with full access to the EU market.

There is separate guidance for businesses on the new arrangements under the Windsor Framework, which can be found on GOV.UK. As such, this is not covered in further detail within this document.

In line with the introduction of border controls on EU imports set out within the Border Target Operating Model, businesses will face new checks and controls when moving Irish goods (i.e any goods other than Qualifying Northern Ireland Goods) from Irish ports (e.g. Dublin Port and Rosslare Europort) directly to Great Britain (e.g Liverpool port and Holyhead port). As well as implementing the new biosecurity and security controls set out in this Border Target Operating Model on Irish goods moving direct from Ireland to Great Britain, we will also bring in full customs controls for these movements, changing the current arrangements that apply when these goods arrive into Great Britain ports receiving traffic from Irish ports.

In line with the Windsor Framework, we will ensure that Northern Ireland businesses have unfettered access when moving qualifying goods to their most important market in Great Britain. These arrangements will be enshrined and further strengthened in domestic legislation, avoiding burdens for Northern Irish goods on both direct Northern Ireland-Great Britain and indirect Northern Ireland-Ireland-Great Britain routes.

Since January 2021, the definition of a Qualifying Northern Ireland Good has remained unchanged with this status conferred on any good that is or has been present in Northern Ireland without being subject to customs supervision, restriction or control or Northern Ireland processed products. This will remain the case for many businesses, however new arrangements will apply for traders moving food and feed products. To ensure the benefits of unfettered access are more squarely focussed on Northern Ireland traders, and taking on board feedback from agri-food and farming stakeholders in Northern Ireland, food and feed products will need to be owned or processed in Northern Ireland by a Northern Ireland registered or approved food or feed business in order to be considered a Qualifying Northern Ireland Good for Sanitary and Phytosanitary purposes and exempt from Sanitary and Phytosanitary import requirements.

This approach will entrench a significant competitive advantage for Northern Irish businesses on the island of Ireland, reflecting Northern Ireland’s integral place in the United Kingdom’s internal market.

We will phase in controls on non-qualifying goods, EU goods moving directly from Irish ports to Great Britain and goods such as excise goods. This will start, from January 2024, with customs controls and Sanitary and Phytosanitary pre-notification and certification where relevant. We will work with stakeholders, and the Scottish and Welsh Governments, to ensure this is done in a way which is fully compliant with the legal obligations in the UK Internal Market Act. Further detail and a timeline for implementation is set out in Section 2 of this document. ##Stakeholder feedback on the draft Border Target Operating Model

Following the launch of the draft Border Target Operating Model in April 2023, the Government ran a 6-week stakeholder engagement period. In addition to Government-led events for UK and international traders, and for our trading partners, various trade bodies organised their own events to which Government officials were invited. Around 10,000 participants registered for Government-led events and we received over 200 written responses to our online portal. We also received over 650 responses to our Sanitary and Phytosanitary focussed sessions from a wide range of stakeholders including food retailers, producers, the logistics sector and many more. Around half of respondents to the online portal were traders, with the majority involved in moving Sanitary and Phytosanitary goods. The majority of responding businesses identified as small or medium-sized enterprises.

There was considerable variation in views on the model across different groups of stakeholders. On the four questions we posed to stakeholders a summary of views is as follows:

Question 1: What are your views on the new model for Safety and Security controls, their impact on businesses and their implementation? Stakeholders broadly welcomed the reduction in the core data fields of the Safety and Security declaration and the ambition to use the UK Single Trade Window to simplify pre-arrival data submission. However, stakeholders pointed out that we needed to be clearer about which fields are mandatory and which are conditional, so we have clarified the details. They also asked that we look again at liability and the responsibilities of the carrier, and whether further facilitations of Safety and Security requirements are possible on certain types of movements. Due to the need to balance trader facilitations with protecting national security, we have not been able to accept all of the facilitations suggested, such as waiving the Safety and Security requirements for inbound empties, but further detail is provided in Section 1.2 on where we have gone further. Finally, stakeholders noted that without further technical detail on the operation of the Single Trade Window it was not yet possible to prepare systems for its introduction. Further detail on the timeline for development of the Single Trade Window is set out in Section 4.

Question 2: What are your views on the new model for Sanitary and Phytosanitary controls, its impact on biosecurity, animal health and welfare, food safety, businesses, as well as its implementation? The new risk-based approach to biosecurity controls was in general recognised for being innovative and an improvement on the model we would have introduced in 2022. The agricultural sector, veterinary groups and consumer groups noted the criticality of controls to protect the UK environment and human health. They noted the importance of ensuring that data and science was used to monitor and review the new regime to ensure it continued to provide robust biosecurity protections. Some exporters also welcomed the parity of treatment with UK exports to the EU, where full biosecurity controls have already been implemented by the EU on UK goods. Traders welcomed the model as an improvement over the model we inherited from the EU, particularly the proportional approach to risk and the ambition to use Trusted Trader schemes as part of the model. However, traders were clear that implementing new controls would make importing more difficult, and would particularly impact groupage models used for import. This in turn was likely to increase costs throughout the supply chain. While robust biosecurity controls necessarily introduce new requirements and costs we have set out refinements to the model in response to these concern in Section 1.3.

Question 3: What challenges exist for the private sector in meeting the proposed timeline for introducing the new model, and how can specific business models for importing be further supported to prepare? Businesses noted that the timeline for introduction presented a significant challenge. In particular they highlighted the need to give EU supply-chains sufficient time to prepare for new controls. The introduction of health certification and the need for EU exporters to put in place new processes to produce these was seen as the greatest challenge. Vets and the agricultural sector noted the threat from animal and plant disease, such as African Swine Fever & Xylella fastidiosa, continues to grow. They highlighted the economic and environmental consequences of these threats and the importance of biosecurity controls in combating them. Recognising the concerns of businesses balanced with the views of experts on biosecurity, we have responded to this feedback through a slight revision to the the implementation timeline of the draft Border Target Operating Model. Instead of the originally planned date of 31 October 2023 we will introduce health certification on 31 January 2024. Physical and documentary checks on Sanitary and Phytosanitary goods will be introduced on 30 April 2024 rather than 31 January 2024. This new timeline will ensure that biosecurity controls are introduced in a timely fashion, but will allow businesses the time needed to prepare.

Question 4: What further detail is needed in order for businesses to prepare for and implement the new Border Target Operating Model? Throughout the consultation process, stakeholders requested a range of further details to help them prepare and plan for the new model. We have set out below where this further detail was requested and where in this document it can be found.

Safety and Security Controls
Further detail was requested on the specific roles and responsibilities of both the carrier and the haulier when submitting S&S declarations.	Information on liability is outlined in Section 1.2.
Clarity on the mode/goods conditionality of certain fields with the S&SGB dataset outlined in the draft Border Target Operating Model.	An updated dataset showing conditional fields, as well as those optional and mandatory, is published in Annex A.
Importers sought further detail on the design and delivery of the UK Single Trade Window to allow them to prepare for the new S&S controls	Further detail on the UK Single Trade Window delivery approach is set out in Section 4.
Sanitary and Phytosanitary Controls
Logistics providers, floriculture and food importers, retailers, PHAs, port operators and the agriculture sector requested more granular risk categorisation, down to each individual commodity code, to make necessary adjustments to their operations.	An updated commodity-code level breakdown of the risk categorisation for most animals and animal products of EU and EFTA origin, can be found here. For EU, Lichtenstein and Switzerland origin plants and plant products, the risk-categories can be found here. Risk categorisation for other trading partners has been published as a supplementary annex to this document.
Food importers fed back that the introduction of third country border controls on a subset of goods classified as medium risk would likely compound food inflation.	Following publication of the commodity-code level breakdown of EU and EFTA origin goods, most Sanitary and Phytosanitary goods will be deemed ‘low risk’ when the model comes into force, limiting the administrative burden required to import them as low risk goods do not require health certification. More information on the costs and benefits of the model can be found in Section 1.1.
Trade associations raised the impact of certification and checks on the use of groupage for imports. They highlighted that the additional cost and delay is likely to result in fewer groupage loads impacting smaller businesses in particular.	Facilitations for groupage movements and a pilot on health certification have been developed and are outlined in Section 1.3. The UK Government will continue to work with businesses to implement the new groupage schemes, including small and medium size businesses.
Businesses sought specific detail and are keen to see ambition on DEFRA’s Trusted Trader pilots. Many are keen to take part and understand the detailed requirements for approvals.	Further detail about the Trusted Trader assurance schemes and the approach to pilots is included in Section 1.3.
Transit
Importers and the border industry asked for further clarity on how the new Border Target Operating Model would interact with transit movements used to import or move goods through Great Britain.	A new section setting out the operation of Transit movements can be found at Section 1.4.
Infrastructure and port operations
Impacted businesses sought more information on the charging regime for HMG-run Border Control Posts to prepare for the second and third milestones.	A consultation on future charging arrangements for government-run Border Control Posts was open from 12 June until 9 July 2023. A summary of responses will be published on GOV.UK following the consultation. Following the consultation Ministers will make the final decision on any legislative changes, taking into account responses received, and further information will be provided as supplementary guidance to this document.
Businesses importing goods requested detailed information about infrastructure at the short straits to allow them to understand where goods will be diverted.	Further information about the infrastructure at the short straits will be published as supplementary guidance to this document outlining wider plans for operational BCPs at the short straights in October 2023.
Systems and IT
The border industry, intermediaries and customs technology firms sought more detail on upcoming systems changes to support delivery of the Border Target Operating Model, and the wider transformation of the border.	Further detail and systems maps are set out in Section 3.
Interactions with the Windsor Framework
The border industry and importers sought more detail on the interaction of the Windsor Framework and the Border Target Operating Model, including clarity on the timing of West Coast checks as well as more clarity on how unfettered access is operationalised.	A new section has been added to this document setting out further detail on the interaction between the Windsor Framework and the Border Target Operating Model. This can be found in Section 2.

Question 2

2. Guide to this Document

Accepted Answer

This document is designed to help UK importers and exporters and their supply chains, the border and logistics industry, ports, and other interested stakeholders including the UK’s trading partners understand the new Border Target Operating Model and related improvements to the UK border occurring ahead of 2025.

2.1 Section 1: Border Target Operating Model for imports

This section sets out the principles of the new model for imports before covering the changes to the Safety and Security and Sanitary and Phytosanitary controls regimes in detail. Importers, overseas exporters, and the logistics industry should read this section to understand what actions they will need to take to import their goods, and how those goods will be treated.

2.2 Section 2: Movements from the Island of Ireland

This new section sets out the interactions between the Windsor Framework and the Border Target Operating Model. Specifically it sets out further details on the movement of Irish goods directly from Ireland into Great Britain ports. It also sets out further details on the processes at ports when Northern Irish goods move through Irish ports to Great Britain ports.

2.3 Section 3: Border industry and port requirements

This section sets out what the border industry and ports will need to do in order to operationalise the model. Ports and the border industry should consult this section to understand what role we anticipate they will play in the model and how we want to work with them to design the detailed delivery plans that will underpin the Border Target Operating Model.

2.4 Section 4: Implementation timeline for the Border Target Operating Model

This section sets out the revised timeline for phasing in the model and the milestones stakeholders will need to prepare for. Importers, overseas exporters, the logistics industry and ports should read this section to know when new requirements will be in place. This section also sets out how the revised timeline for implementation of the Border Target Operating Model sits within the larger portfolio of border transformations we will deliver over the coming years.

2.5 Section 5: Improving the border for exporters

This section sets out the UK Government’s ambitions to support exporters and outlines specific improvements we have or will implement in the coming years alongside implementation of the Border Target Operating Model.

2.6 Section 6: Changes to the passenger model

This section sets out the transformations that the Home Office and Border Force are implementing to modernise and automate the movement of passengers through UK ports. Ports and the border industry should read this section to understand how changes in passenger movements will happen in parallel to changes in how goods move across the border.

Question 3

4. 1.1. Overview of the new model

Accepted Answer

4.1 Summary of the new model for imports

In April 2022, the UK Government decided not to introduce further Safety and Security requirements or Sanitary and Phytosanitary controls which apply to animal products, plants, plant products and high risk food and feed of non-animal origin on imports into Great Britain from the EU that had been planned for July 2022 onwards.

Following that decision, the UK and Devolved Governments, in collaboration with traders and the border industry, have developed a new Border Target Operating Model.

The new Border Target Operating Model is significantly different to the model we were going to introduce in July 2022. It brings together policy and process improvement, as well as technology and better use of data to implement a new model for importing goods into Great Britain. This will introduce the best possible arrangements for those importing from the EU, and improve the experience of those importing from non-EU countries. It will do this by reducing the complexity of the UK’s security, biosecurity and public health border controls; reducing the paperwork and certification required, and; aligning the requirements and frequency of physical checks to the risk presented. Where action is required from importers the digitisation of data submission processes will minimise the need to resubmit data.

The collection of Safety and Security data from EU imports presents one of the best post-EU Exit border security improvement opportunities to protect the country. The additional pre-arrival data for EU imports will mean more intelligent risking of cargo, allowing us to have the right people in the right place at the right time to stop illegal goods hitting the UK streets.

In development of the new model we have reviewed the Safety and Security requirements, reducing the data set to its security-critical elements whilst retaining flexibility for those already making declarations.

Border controls are one important part of a robust import system to ensure our food is safe and that we are protected from animal and plant diseases. The new model for Sanitary and Phytosanitary controls will deliver benefits to businesses, while providing robust controls needed to protect the UK’s biosecurity and ensure that consumers have access to high quality and safe food products.

The UK’s Biological Security Strategy, published in 2018 and recently updated, sets out the challenges faced in maintaining our biological security and how those threats are managed. It recognised that one of the most serious risks societies face today comes from outbreaks of disease. Such outbreaks threaten lives and livelihoods and generate significant social, economic and environmental impacts. Large scale disease outbreaks in animals or plants do not respect international boundaries and the threat they pose has grown as the world becomes increasingly interconnected. As a global trading nation, the UK is exposed to these risks, and border controls are a key tool to manage them.

Sanitary and Phytosanitary border controls are based on the provision of data about regulated goods. They provide assurance through certification and enable the risk-based targeting of more intensive checks. The three components of import health controls systems are:

Pre-notification, which supports action at points of entry, allowing officials to target their activities at shipments posing the biggest risk. The detail allows traceability, enabling animal, plant and public health authorities to identify and respond to an outbreak or emerging threat.
Health certification provides assurance as it requires authorised officials in exporting countries to certify that the goods have been produced to the safe standards required by the importing country. These are monitored through documentary checks.
Physical inspection, usually at a border control post, allows health officials to check that goods match the health certification, to identify any trends of concern in non-compliance and to sample the goods for any pests and diseases.

We only import from countries that we already know are managing their biosecurity appropriately. The exporting countries are audited and their production establishments are inspected by their competent authorities and need to meet specific requirements to export to the UK. At present, goods from the EU enter the UK without certification and checks, apart from those required for the highest risk items, such as live animals, germinal products and plants. The Border Target Operating Model introduces proportionate controls that will protect the agri-food sector and public health. These are vital to avoid diseases that could devastate UK industries and our ability to export.

Case Study: African Swine Fever and Border Controls

An outbreak of African Swine Fever would be a fundamental threat to the viability of our pig industry.

While Britain is free of African Swine Fever, it is widespread in some other parts of the world, including both EU and non–EU countries on the European Continent. Recent routine inspection of retail shops by local authorities in the UK detected frozen, raw and uncooked meat products marked clearly as suitable only for sale in the originating country. Further investigations found these products had been purchased by two importers, linked to over 280 retail outlets in the UK. These products were exported commercially, and properly pre-notified on the UK imports system. Although the products didn’t test positive for African Swine Fever on this occasion the very fact that these products reached the UK presents a serious and immediate threat to the UK pig industry.

These goods would not have made it to the UK if Sanitary and Phytosanitary controls had been in place because they would not have been certified for export by a veterinarian in the originating country.

In developing the new model, our goal has been to design a modern border with a simplified but effective system of Sanitary and Phytosanitary controls. This is a border that optimises the balance between maintaining, or improving, biosecurity, public health and food safety and sets a proportionate regulatory burden. We recognise that some goods inherently carry lower risk, for example highly processed commodities from production systems that we trust, and for these we recognise that appropriate pre-notification and intelligence based checks can provide sufficient protection and balance the relative burdens. Trade partners’ confidence in our animal and plant health standards, including official controls at the border, is essential to our ability to export and to strike new trade deals.

An overview of the process a typical business importing goods into Great Britain will need to go through under the new model is set out in Figure 1. This summarises the key data they must provide, when they must provide supporting documentation and when a physical check of their goods may be required.

Figure 1: Summary of how the Border Target Operating Model will improve the import process

4.2 A cross-government approach to Trusted Trader authorisations

The 2025 UK Border Strategy set out the ambition to create a cross-government approach to authorising businesses for Trusted Trader status (where a trader goes through an upfront assurance process in order to be granted authorisation to use facilitations not available to traders by default) that sees these approaches expanded across different compliance regimes. The Border Target Operating Model seeks to deliver on this ambition, and pilot the incorporation of Sanitary and Phytosanitary controls into our approach to Trusted Trader authorisations.

Currently, the UK Government’s ‘Trusted Trader’ offer comprises over 80 schemes for customs and excise administered by HMRC, such as the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) scheme, Authorised Consignee/Consignor (ACC) for transit users and Excise Warehousing. Benefits range from reduced checks at the border to the ability to defer customs and excise duty and import VAT payments. For excise authorisations, without the required authorisations and approvals, businesses cannot produce excise products such as beer, tobacco or road fuels.

The existing customs and excise authorisations schemes do not have systemic read across to one another and traders must re-enter information for each authorisation. Further, there is no central platform where a business can manage or apply for schemes they are eligible for. In addition, the Government’s existing Trusted Trader offering is focused on customs and excise authorisations, with few facilitations offered for other controls regimes, such as Sanitary and Phytosanitary controls.

Through the Border Target Operating Model we will create a joined up approach to our Trusted Trader offering.

HMRC will radically simplify its existing schemes for trusted traders through the Modernising Authorisations project. This will streamline the current suite of customs authorisations and digitise the current paper based application/management process for customs and excise authorisations. Authorisations will be more visible to traders making it easier for them to identify and access those authorisations which are most suitable for their needs. The Modernising Authorisations project will move into delivery in the second half of 2023, with the aim of completing by mid-2025.
The UK Single Trade Window will provide a gateway for application and management of Trusted Trader status. This will save traders the administrative burden of capturing data multiple times, and the applications and guidance for authorisations schemes can also be held on a single platform. Traders applying for authorisations will have a more straightforward customer journey where data is not requested on multiple occasions. When a trader’s capability and volume of trade grows such that they wish to move away from third party services and undertake customs processes directly, they will be able to access and manage their authorisations more easily. This approach will make it more straightforward to apply for Trusted Trader schemes and will help smaller firms to start importing, thus encouraging them to apply for further facilitations as they become more mature. Traders who hold existing authorisations will be onboarded to the new platform and will be able to review and amend all of their held authorisations in one place and use their data to apply for additional schemes. The UK Single Trade Window is designed so that in the future, new features can be incorporated. In the context of a Trusted Trader scheme, this means that the Trusted Trader offer can expand if further facilitations are developed for traders.
As set out in the detail of the new approach to Sanitary and Phytosanitary controls, we will work with industry to pilot new Trusted Trader authorisations for Sanitary and Phytosanitary goods. These pilots will explore whether it is possible for businesses to demonstrate compliance and provide the necessary assurance to manage biosecurity, animal health and welfare, and food safety risks.
In addition, we worked with industry, through our Ecosystem of Trust pilots, to test the most advanced border model we can conceive of, where tech, data and policy come together to result in near frictionless movement across the border for Trusted Traders. The pilots tested technology and data insights that can provide assurances to government about the movement of goods, allowing it to deliver more facilitated trade and benefits to industry. We will use the evaluation of these pilots to determine how these approaches can be integrated into the future Border Target Operating Model.

The user journey map in Figure 2 shows how we believe the system should ultimately function, including input and output from the user, the UK Single Trade Window service, and the underpinning departmental systems.

4.3 Benefits and costs of the Border Target Operating Model

We believe the Border Target Operating Model represents one of the most intelligent and data-driven border models in the world. During the engagement period on the draft model we engaged with importers and their supply chains about the potential costs of the model. In parallel, we have also published the full risk categorisation for EU goods which provides a more robust basis for estimating costs. This has seen many goods categorised as low risk, meaning that they do not require certification or routine checks at ports, ensuring that the cost of importing them remains low. This ensures there will not be a significant impact on inflation from the introduction of the Border Target Operating Model.

Based on engagement with stakeholders and improvements we have made to the model we have updated our analysis of the impacts on the new model to produce new estimates and costs and benefits.

Benefits of the new model

Including the further improvements to the model we have made based on stakeholder feedback, compared to the original import model that would have been introduced in 2022, we believe this new model will reduce costs to businesses by around £520m per annum by reducing the complexity and volume of paperwork associated with importing.

The Border Target Operating Model delivers significant benefits by protecting the UK’s environment, farming industry and citizens from a range of threats.

Security controls prevent the entry of a range of illegal and dangerous goods into the UK that support criminal gangs and harm citizens. This imposes costs on the UK in the form of crime and healthcare costs. We estimate that introduction of new security controls to imports from the EU could lead to significant benefits including an increase in seizures of class A drugs by up to 4000 kg each year.

Figure 2: Proposed model for delivering a cross-government approach to trusted trader authorisations through the UK Single Trade Window

The risks from inadequate biosecurity controls are significant and dynamic. There are also significant disease hazards associated with a wide range of imported commodities: a recent UK-wide Salmonella outbreak caused by chicken products originating from the EU, resulted in over 1000 confirmed cases of illness (with potentially as many as 4000 additional cases which were not confirmed/reported) and cost an estimated £7.7m. Biosecurity measures also reduce the risk of importing diseases, including zoonotic diseases, which are responsible for c.75% of new and emerging infectious diseases in humans (including those with pandemic potential). While the costs of new disease outbreaks cannot be quantified directly, previous outbreaks have had severe economic impacts. The 2001 outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease cost £13bn in 2021 prices, of which £4.5bn were costs to Government and £8.5bn were costs to the private sector. Similarly, Ash Dieback arrived in the UK in 2014 and has a predicted cost of £15bn over the next century.

Costs of the new model

As stakeholders informed us during the engagement period, introduction of robust controls on EU imports will inevitably result in new processes and so costs for importers. These costs are already experienced by UK businesses exporting to the EU, since the EU has already implemented full import controls on UK goods. Costs will depend greatly on how businesses adapt their business models and supply chains to integrate the new controls regimes. However we estimate these new costs of the model at £330m p.a. overall, across all EU imports. This represents c.0.13% of the overall value of EU goods imports to Great Britain, with an annual value of c. £259 billion.

The design of the new Border Target Operating Model has focussed on reducing burdens for businesses, and many Sanitary and Phytosanitary goods have been classified as low risk. Consequently, our modelling suggests the impact of introduction of the new model on the costs of food and drink will not be significant, representing less than a 0.2% increase in total over 3 years. The consequences of a major outbreak of a plant or animal disease on the economy could be far more severe.

Question 4

5. 1.2. The new Safety and Security model

Accepted Answer

5.1 Background

Safety and Security declarations support our fight against illicit goods such as drugs and weapons entering the UK from abroad. Safety and Security declarations help to ensure that interventions at the border are based on risk. The level of data collected needs to be proportionate and sufficient to support risk-based assessments, balancing the needs of national security with the burden placed on traders to collect and submit the data.

As a signatory to the World Customs Organisation’s (WCO) SAFE framework, the UK has requirements for Safety and Security declarations. These have applied to imports and exports from non-EU countries since 2011, and Safety and Security export declaration requirements commenced for exports from Great Britain into the EU on 1 October 2021. Since EU Exit, the EU has required Safety and Security declarations on imports from GB.

The UK Government introduced a temporary waiver for EU imports into Great Britain due to concerns about trader burdens, lack of trader readiness, and potential disruption for critical trade routes and supply chains exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ability to collect Safety and Security data from goods originating from or crossing the EU represents a post-EU exit opportunity. Enhancing our intelligence on imported goods will help Border Force to keep citizens safe from the most harmful goods brought into the country. It will also minimise disruption at the border by supporting a more intelligence informed approach to risking and intervention, as well as facilitating the flow of legitimate trade by reducing the number of ‘false positive’ hits.

5.2 How we have responded to stakeholder feedback

As a result of the stakeholder feedback received on the draft Border Target Operating Model, we have made the following changes and additions to the model for Safety and Security controls:

Included an updated and refined dataset, which clearly sets out mandatory, and optional fields, as well conditional fields
Included a new section to clarify existing arrangements with regards to liabilities and responsibilities for safety and security declarations

It has not been possible to respond to all stakeholder requests. In particular, the carriers and the logistics industry requested further facilitations for some types of inbound movements, notably the removal of safety and security declarations for empty containers. We have considered the balance of security, compliance and facilitation and have concluded that S&S declarations should be retained for empty movements.

5.3 Ending the waiver for Safety and Security declarations for EU imports

Ending the waiver for Safety and Security declarations on EU imports, as well as other territories where the waiver is in place, will introduce an important tool in our fight against serious and organised crime. The UK Government will therefore implement the requirement for Safety and Security data to be submitted for goods arriving in Great Britain from the EU in October 2024.^{[footnote 1]} Once implemented, we expect to see more accurate targeting, facilitating the flow of legitimate trade. Those who export from Great Britain to the EU, or import from Rest of World, are already required to make Safety and Security declarations now.

Whilst our new model seeks to minimise trader burdens as far as possible, we are aware that for some (for example those who only import from the EU), the ending of this waiver will result in a completely new requirement to submit Safety and Security declarations. We will continue to engage with industry over the coming months so they can start meeting these new requirements.

5.4 Developing the new regime

We have reviewed the current Safety and Security model starting from first principles. As we move towards an increasingly digital border, data collection is essential for ensuring targeted interventions, enabling the flow of legitimate goods. We have developed a new model focused on gathering, analysing and utilising data deemed as most critical to security. The new regime continues to uphold and deliver on the objectives of the World Customs Organisation’s SAFE framework, whilst balancing the needs of national security with the burden placed on traders.

As part of reviewing the model, we explored how technology could streamline the process of submitting Safety and Security declarations for traders while providing a richer data set to the UK Government. Through the Ecosystem of Trust pilots, we tested how data insights and new technology can reduce border frictions, and reviewed how supply chain data could replace traditional Safety and Security declarations. These pilots are informing the design of the UK Single Trade Window, particularly regarding plans for it to have the capability to collect and process supply chain data and share it with government systems in the future, which could provide more accurate and timely data for performing government risking operations. This has the potential to both better secure the border and deliver more frictionless trade. A full evaluation of these pilots has now been published.

5.5 Detail of the changes within the new model for Safety and Security

For detailed User Journeys for Safety and Security products that incorporate the changes under the new model, please see Annex B.

Reduction of the Safety and Security data set

The UK Government has assessed ENS (Entry Summary) data required for Safety and Security purposes, and will reduce the quantity of data which is required following a comprehensive review of the data fields. This reduction will apply to all imports from anywhere in the world into Great Britain.

Following stakeholder feedback on the draft Border Target Operating Model, the dataset requirement has now been amended. There will be 20 mandatory fields, which are security-critical and allow our targeting system to function. There are also up to 8 conditional fields, which need to be completed in certain circumstances. The remaining 9 data fields will be optional, but can be voluntarily submitted. Completion of the optional fields will reduce the chance of legitimate goods being held at the UK border because it will improve Border Force’s ability to risk the goods. Further detail, including the conditional fields and when they need to be completed, is set out in Annex A.

This approach ensures those businesses already set up to import from non-EU countries, or those submitting voluntarily on EU movements, do not need to make any changes to their existing systems or procedures if they do not wish to. Those businesses who will be required to complete Safety and Security declarations for the first time when the EU waiver ends can choose to complete only the mandatory and any relevant conditional fields.

Over the coming months, we will continue to work closely with carriers, including through our regular engagement channels, to ensure they understand and are able to comply with the requirements. This will include providing updated specifications for the dataset, with sufficient notice for any changes required. We will also provide updated guidance on GOV.UK once the reduced dataset comes into effect, with clear information about the new requirements, to promote a high level of data quality to ensure legitimate trade is not held up unnecessarily. We are also ensuring that existing routes for addressing carriers’ queries and technical issues are working optimally.

All advance Safety and Security data for Great Britain movements will be risked through the existing S&SGB system, as well as the Home Office’s system, Cerberus. Cerberus is the future solution to holistic targeting at the UK border which will allow Border Force to network and analyse diverse cross modal transactional and contextual datasets in real time, recognising Organised Crime Groups operate across modes and commodities and improving targeting effectiveness.

5.6 Improvements to the way Safety and Security data is provided

Liability

In line with existing practices and international standards set out in the WCO SAFE Framework, the legal requirement to submit an Entry Summary declaration will remain with the operator of the active means of transport, referred to as the carrier. As set out in our existing guidance, this means:

For goods travelling by rail, the carrier will be the rail freight operator
For goods travelling by air, the carrier will be the airline
For goods travelling by maritime, the carrier will be the shipping company
For accompanied RoRo, the haulage company will be responsible for submitting the declaration
For unaccompanied RoRo, the ferry operator will be responsible for submitting the declaration

A party other than the carrier, such as the importer or an intermediary, can lodge the declaration (with agreement) on the carrier’s behalf. Following stakeholder feedback, we will keep the safety and security guidance available here under review, in particular to ensure clarity on existing requirements for those who will be submitting declarations for the first time when the EU waiver ends. We will continue to work with carriers to ensure they are able to meet the requirements.

In the longer term, the introduction of the UK Single Trade Window will also make it easier for multiple parties to contribute to a single declaration, with each submitting the data they hold. Further information can be found here.

Data Provision

Currently, carriers importing into Great Britain are required to submit Safety and Security declarations into S&SGB, a dedicated system, which requires specialist software to connect to it. The data issued to the UK Government is often duplicated throughout the consignment’s journey as it is required for different purposes.

Through the UK Single Trade Window, we will seek to eliminate duplication in customs processes. We intend to simplify the submission of data by enabling traders and intermediaries to meet their import, export and transit-related obligations by submitting information to Government once and in one place. This data will then be reused across other declarations - relevant information can be passed on to the departments who need it. This reuse of data will ease the previous administrative burden of having to provide the same information multiple times for the same movement. The UK Single Trade Window will expand this approach to include the principle of unifying pre-arrival data across more submissions, including across Customs and Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) declarations.

The UK Single Trade Window will give traders and intermediaries the option to self-serve the processes for licences, authorisations and customs import, export, transit and Safety and Security declarations required to trade internationally. UK Single Trade Window functionality will be delivered iteratively through strategic releases, and will provide:

A user interface that will provide a single route for users to complete customs and Safety and Security declarations online through the UK Single Trade Window. This will be available for free. Over time, this will encompass current self-declaration capability, such as Defra’s Import of Products Animals, Food and Feed Systems (IPAFFS) pre-notification. As further functionality becomes available, Single Trade Window will provide:
The ability to share and collaborate on declarations with supply chain partners. This includes the ability for a trader to provide an agent or carrier with the information that they hold (about the goods, the volume of goods, etc.) and for this information to be used across all declarations relating to the consignment.
Explicit measures to inform users about data sharing/reuse, and safeguards against increased commercial risk (due to other actors being able to see some data whilst reusing it).

The first UK Single Trade Window strategic release, which will be made available for public use ahead of October 2024, will focus on providing public facing Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and a user interface for Safety and Security Import (ENS) declarations and Customs Import declarations, allowing traders to submit their declarations without requiring specialist software. Further detail on the functionality of the Single Trade Window is set out in Section 4.

When it is first introduced, the UK Single Trade Window user interface will also start to provide additional functionality such as reusing trader identification data and declaration data where this is already held by the UK Government or within the trader’s Single Trade Window account.

In the longer term, as functionality and the ability to share information develops, the UK Single Trade Window will aim to enable all information required to import and export goods to be submitted to border agencies through one system, further simplifying the process for traders. This will mean that traders can complete all advance customs requirements, such as pre-lodged customs requirements, Safety and Security and Sanitary and Phytosanitary requirements, without needing to use several different systems.

5.7 Improving the use of data by the UK government to remove duplication

Transit procedures allow for customs processes to be suspended whilst goods move through multiple customs regimes. However, there is currently still a requirement for Safety and Security declarations to be made for movements through different customs territories.

The New Computerised Transit System (NCTS) Phase 6 (currently scheduled for implementation across all Common Transit Convention countries in 2025) will allow functionality to enable use of Transit Security Accompanying Documents in place of separate Safety and Security and Transit declarations. This will mean that when moving goods through other countries which have opted into adopting Transit Security Accompanying Documents, traders using transit will only need to submit one Transit Security Accompanying Document for a transit movement – unlike currently, where Safety and Security declarations need to be submitted for every customs territory crossing.^{[footnote 2]}

Further information on the treatment of transit movements under the Border Target Operating Model can be found in Section 1.4.

5.8 Removing Safety and Security requirements for low risk export movements

By 20 December 2023 we will introduce additional waivers for a number of specific low risk movements to start reducing trader burdens as soon as possible. In the following circumstances, Safety and Security export declarations will no longer be required:

Outbound fish
UK law currently requires Export Summary Declarations (EXS), otherwise known as Safety and Security exit declarations for fish caught in UK territorial seas and landed outside of the UK. These movements do not pose a threat to UK security and therefore the Safety and Security requirement is not proportionate. We will remove this requirement to reduce trader burden.
Outbound transit movements
In cases where goods are moved through Great Britain under transit, and a Safety and Security Entry Declaration (ENS) has been made within 14 days, we will waive the requirement for an Export Summary Declaration (EXS) to be submitted. These movements can be safely managed using the data on the Entry Declaration (ENS). We see this requirement as duplicative and therefore will remove it.
Outbound freeport goods
In cases where the advance Safety and Security information remains available and valid, and the goods have been at the freeport for less than 14 days, we will waive the requirement for an Export Summary Declaration (EXS) to be submitted for goods exported from Great Britain.

Further details on how we are improving the experience of exporting are set out in Section 5.

5.9 Fast Parcel Operators

All Fast Parcel Operators will be able to benefit from the new model, in particular the reduced dataset, submitting only the mandatory and any relevant conditional fields.

Those Fast Parcel Operators who were operating Anti-Smuggling Nets to meet Safety and Security obligations before the end of the transition period can continue to use them until the government provides further information on when Anti-Smuggling Nets will be phased out. We will engage industry as we develop our future plans and give sufficient notice ahead of any changes. Engagement will begin this year in September.

Express operators, who do not use Anti-Smuggling Nets, should continue to meet their Safety and Security obligations on rest of world imports and exports as they are required to do now. They should prepare to provide Safety and Security data on EU imports in line with the new requirements set out in this model.

Our engagement on future plans for Anti-Smuggling Nets will include consideration of how we can utilise technology to streamline the process of submitting Safety and Security declarations for all traders, including Express Operators.

5.10 Safety and security declaration amendment process

Previous engagement with stakeholders indicated that in the fast moving ‘Roll on Roll off’ (RoRo) environment, some hauliers do not have all the required Safety and Security information to submit a declaration 2 hours before goods enter Great Britain, as is currently the rule for short sea journeys. Safety and Security declarations must be as accurate and complete as possible when submitted. However, amendments can be made if something changes, for example, the amount of goods or the time of the sea crossing. The existing Safety and Security declaration amendment process caters for these situations - guidance can be found here.

Question 5

6. 1.3. The new Sanitary and Phytosanitary goods model for Great Britain

Accepted Answer

6.1 Background

Import controls are a critical element of all effective biosecurity and public health systems. They protect public health, plant health and animal health and welfare. Controls provide assurance, they allow the interception of non-compliant consignments and they enable the tracing of goods if an incident arises. Controls ensure that consumers have confidence in imported plant and animal products and they underpin our exports to our global trading partners. The threats posed by imported food and feed, and live animals, are ever present and dynamic and our controls will reflect and respond to this, protecting consumers while ensuring they can safely access the products they want.

The UK is party to World Trade Organisation treaties that require a level playing field for Sanitary and Phytosanitary controls across our trading partners. The World Trade Organisation Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement recognises the rights of all members to apply necessary controls to protect their public, animal and plant health. Measures must not be applied in an arbitrary or discriminatory way.

It is therefore critical that the Border Target Operating Model retains the mechanisms recognised and applied across the world as the key building blocks for animal, public and plant health import controls. Doing so will provide protection for the UK and ensure our trading partners have confidence in our exports.

To help provide assurance of the robustness of the approach set out within the Border Target Operating Model, we will work closely with enforcement bodies to ensure that is an appropriate level of enforcement for both personal and commercial imports. For imports of animals, animal products, plants and plant products we will encourage a compliance first approach. This approach will actively support importers and the public, by enabling them to move compliant goods into the UK. Backing up this compliance first approach will be robust, intelligence led, enforcement controls on illegal activity. This will help reduce the biosecurity risk posed, both to the public and the environment, from non-compliant goods entering the UK.

Engagement with the Crown Dependencies, the Bailiwick of Guernsey, the Bailiwick of Jersey and the Isle of Man, is continuing, with respect to application of the Border Target Operating Model in their territories, to maintain frictionless movement and trade with Great Britain.

6.2 How we have responded to stakeholder feedback

Stakeholders provided wide-ranging views on the new model for Sanitary and Phytosanitary goods. These focussed both on the need to take caution when implementing novel approaches to biosecurity to ensure they maintain robust controls, and highlighting where more could be done to ease the burden of new processes and requirements on businesses. To that end we have made refinements across the model. Specifically:

6.3 Overview of the model for Sanitary and Phytosanitary goods

The Scottish, Welsh and UK Governments have worked together to develop the new model for the import of Sanitary and Phytosanitary goods. Although enforcement of biosecurity controls are within devolved responsibility, it is in all our interests to have a coherent border control regime across Great Britain.

Our goal is to create a modern border system with a streamlined and effective global risk-based system of Sanitary and Phytosanitary controls that enables us to respond rapidly to changing risk profiles. This will help us to protect public, plant and animal health and welfare, boost our economic growth, and minimise friction at the border.

We want to improve on the model used by the EU in a number of ways, by introducing;

A global risk-based, targeted approach to official border controls on imports of all origins;
Pilots of trusted trader assurance schemes that provide credible evidence to support facilitations and;
Simplification and digitisation that makes the best use of data.

Sanitary and Phytosanitary goods will be categorised based on the inherent risk (high, medium or low) that the commodity poses to animal health and welfare, food safety and biosecurity, alongside any risk specific to the country of origin. The level of controls applied will be proportionate to the risk, for example the prevalence of pests or diseases and the standard of official health controls.

In developing the global import model for Sanitary and Phytosanitary goods we have balanced the need to protect the UK from biosecurity and public health threats; the need to give businesses and trading partners time to prepare, and so prevent disruption for consumers; and the speed at which the technology and infrastructure can be put in place.

Key to the model is shared governance across England, Wales and Scotland of the new risk-based approach to Sanitary and Phytosanitary controls. This governance and expertise involved will be critical to ensuring that the model responds to emerging threats.

As part of the new model we will pilot new Sanitary and Phytosanitary assurance schemes for authorised Trusted Traders. The pilots will be co-designed with industry over 2023 before they go live from January 2024. There will be separate pilot schemes for plants and plant products and for medium risk products of animal origin and animal by-products. Some high risk food and feed of non-animal origin could be considered for future inclusion.

These pilot schemes will seek to develop assurances that are equivalent to official controls by building on existing systems and data that traders have in place to directly manage biosecurity and food safety risks with added government oversight. All members of these schemes will be held to the UK’s high biosecurity and food safety standards and will be presented with different options for providing the authorities with such assurance, with exploration of a range of benefits to traders in return (e.g. a reduction in the level of Border Control Post checks).

Details of the specific proposals for plant and animal products are set out in the sections below. While these will only be pilot schemes at this stage, the intention is to be as ambitious as possible in their design to maximise their benefits while protecting biosecurity, animal and public health. We would welcome interest from all major food importers and intermediaries in participating in the pilots.

Governance of these pilots will be overseen by a governance structure across England, Wales and Scotland, assuring that the pilots and any scheme which evolves from them will not compromise biosecurity, animal health and welfare, public health or consumer protections. A robust and detailed evaluation of the pilots, that appropriately balances benefits to traders and the assurance of biosecurity and food safety, will be undertaken before any decision to scale them up is taken.

6.4 Food Security

The resilience and reliability of food supply chains, and ensuring no disruption for consumers, is a key objective of the Government as set out in last year’s UK Government Food Strategy. In implementing this new control regime for the first time on EU imports, we will carefully monitor the range of potential risks, including those that may impact food supply chains and consumers. Where possible we will work with importers to try to manage those risks in a structured way, considering whether there are appropriate contingencies which we can deploy if and when required. We recognise that this new model for importing Sanitary and Phytosanitary goods will require some businesses and their supply chains to adapt their business models. Details of how we will work to support businesses operating different models for the importing of these goods are set out below.

6.5 Navigating this section of the document

The following sections set the detail of how the new model applies to different types of Sanitary and Phytosanitary goods:

The section on importing live animals, germinal products, products of animal origin, animal by-products and high risk food and feed of non-animal origin explains how to import these goods to Great Britain under the new model.
The section on importing plants and plant products explains how to import these goods to Great Britain under the new model.
These sections are followed by details of the timeline for implementing the new model for Sanitary and Phytosanitary goods and an overview of how we will work to support different models of importing such as managing groupage and re-exporting.
Detailed example user journeys for the import to Great Britain of Sanitary and Phytosanitary goods are set out in Annex C.
The requirements for moving Sanitary and Phytosanitary goods through Great Britain on transit are set out in section 1.4.

6.6 Importing Live Animals, Products of Animal Origin and Animal By-Products under the Border Target Operating Model

Risk categorisation

Live animals, germinal products, products of animal origin and animal by-products will be categorised as high risk, medium risk, or low risk. Each category will have a proportionate level of control.
The categorisation is based on the inherent risk that the commodity poses to animal health, food safety and biosecurity, and public health, alongside the risks specific to the country of origin e.g. the prevalence of pests/diseases and the standard of official health controls. This means a commodity from one country could be in the low risk category but the same commodity from a different country could be in the medium risk category.
Risk categorisation of Sanitary and Phytosanitary goods by country/commodity combination, has been undertaken by Defra, the Food Standards Agency, Food Standards Scotland and devolved counterparts. The risk categories for imports of live animals, germinal and animal products from the EU and EFTA countries have been published. Risk categories for imports of live animals, germinal and animal products from non-EU countries will be published in August 2023.
Risk categorisation is a dynamic process drawing on the most current data and reflecting changes in disease status, however, it is not expected that the initial risk categorisation will change, for the majority of commodities. There are a small number of commodities placed in low risk from January 2024 pending further risk assessment. This will provide businesses with stability and avoid the need for frequent operational changes. Where changes in risk categorisation are made, official notification will be made to trading partners. Businesses will usually be given 3 months to implement the change.
In addition, this framework can be overlaid with an assessment of importer compliance in the case of Trusted Trader schemes (see Trusted Trader section). Other risk considerations, including emerging intelligence, will also inform decisions on categorisation.

Controls that will be applied to live animals, germinal and animal products based on their risk categorisation

Controls will be applied to goods proportionately based upon their risk categorisation:

Import of consignments categorised as high risk (predominantly live animals, germinal products and goods under safeguard measures) will require pre-notification, simplified health certificates, documentary checks and identity and physical checks at the border. In most cases, live animals will be subject to 100% identity and physical checks. Some exceptions to the requirement for 100% checks for animals are set out below. These include lower check rates for some types of high health equines (e.g. race horses) from low risk countries, some zoological animals and some live aquatic animals.
Import of consignments categorised as medium risk will require pre-notification, simplified health certificates, documentary checks and be subject to risk-based identity and physical checks at the border. Some will be set at 1% physical and identity checks, although other goods will be considerably higher based on specific risks. A Trusted Trader scheme for medium risk consignments will be piloted.
Import of consignments categorised as low risk will have minimal routine border controls applied. There would be no requirement for health certification or routine physical border checks, although there will be provision for intelligence-led intervention on low risk products. Provision of a pre-notification data set and commercial documentation will be required for all low risk animal products. Goods classified as low risk would still need to enter via a port that has a Border Control Post designated for that type of commodity.

To ensure that the risk categorisation remains appropriate over time, our surveillance systems at the border and inland will better target low risk and other goods for new and emerging risks. This will be done by:

Monitoring via horizon scanning surveys while gathering information to detect emerging issues; and
Targeted surveillance using intelligence/information to follow up leads in relation to specific threats.

Figure 3 sets out the controls which will be required, accorded to each risk categorisation.

The controls reflect the nature of the risk posed. Routine import controls for low risk goods are removed, apart from pre-notification for traceability reasons and other assurances. In the medium risk category there is a tiered approach to the level of checks based on the country/commodity risk assessment. Although this classification remains dynamic and the level of checks may vary, some products are expected to require only 1% identity and physical checks with the higher risk products subject to higher check levels. While low risk animal products will not require routine Border Control Post inspection, they must still arrive through a point of entry with a Border Control Post, as this links to a port health authority or local authority to administer the pre-notification, and if intelligence does suggest that a physical inspection of a low risk consignment is necessary, the port health authority or local authority will be able to conduct this at the Border Control Post.

Our approach ensures we are striking the appropriate balance between protecting the UK from biosecurity risks and facilitating trade:

A risk-based approach where routine check rates are retained for the highest risk commodities, reduced for most medium risk commodities and removed altogether for low risk commodities;.
Not all checks will need to take place at a Border Control Post, documentary checks can happen remotely in advance of the goods’ arrival, and few consignments will be selected for identity and physical checks at a Border Control Post;
Simplified health certificates will be available to our trading partners;
Consignment check rates can be adjusted to reflect risk. This allows us to keep routine checks at a level necessary to protect biosecurity, animal and public health and respond to changing risk.

Figure 3: Percentage of checks per risk category

Consignment Risk (Country risk x commodity risk)	Example Animal Products	Health Certificates	Pre-notification requirements	(GB) Indicative Checks %			(EU) Checks % (Under the current EU regime)
Consignment Risk (Country risk x commodity risk)	Example Animal Products	Health Certificates	Pre-notification requirements	Doc	ID	Physical	Check rates (across 5 risk categories)***
High Risk	Live animals and commodities covered under safeguard measures	Export Health Certificate required	Full Pre-notification requirements	100%	100%*	100%*	100% Identify 100% Physical
Medium Risk	Raw, chilled, frozen meat/meat products/ABP for use in animal feed; medium risk fishery products imported as products of animal origin	Export Health Certificate required	Full Pre-notification requirements	100%	1% - 30%**	1% - 30%**	100% Identity 15-30% Physical
Low Risk	Processed, shelf-stable products such as certain composites and canned meat products, certain animal by products for technical use and certain fish products	No Export Health Certificate required	Pre notification data to allow traceability	0%	0%	0%	100% Identity 1-5% Physical

*Certain live animals (e.g. high health equines) may be subject to a reduced level of ID and physical checks dependent upon species but would still be classed as high risk

**Typically 1-30% with many products only requiring 1% identity and or physical checks. However, in some circumstances some products with specific requirements may require up to 100% on ID checks.

***Risk categories won’t be directly comparable, but gives indication of the different approaches taken

Border Checks for Live Animals

Live animals are considered to be high risk consignments and the majority will receive physical and ID checks at the point of entry at designated live animal Border Control Posts at the rate of 100%. However, for certain types of live animals, some facilitations are possible as the risks are lower or other mitigations exist.

Under certain conditions and requirements, some live animals could receive identity and physical checks at their destination instead. It is foreseen that this will apply to ‘zoo animals’ (those covered by the Balai rules) which are headed to an approved listed site and consignments of day-old chicks and hatching eggs where these are headed to an approved site under an expanded Poultry Health Scheme model. Details of the specific criteria, that may include requirements around site conditions and access to data, will be published in due course.

A reduced checks regime is also proposed for certain high health equines and certain aquatic animals. For aquatic animals this will provide for a reduced check frequency of only 10% subject to meeting specific criteria. For equines, we are exploring allowing verified racing equines to receive no routine checks at the border, in recognition of their especially high health status and level of veterinary supervision. This is subject to agreeing a stakeholder data sharing model, which provides the necessary assurance and could ultimately be integrated into the Single Trade Window. For other categories of high health equines, we are also looking to provide reduced checks frequency of 10% for those meeting specific criteria. Further details of this will be published separately following ongoing stakeholder engagement.

Border Control Post checks for live animals from the EU will commence in late 2024 and we will ensure that businesses have enough notice to prepare for the requirement for physical checks at Border Control Posts. Designated live animal Border Control Posts will continue to be published on GOV.UK, and the designation process will remain with the Animal and Plant Health Agency and with the Welsh and Scottish Governments for their respective Border Control Posts.

Border Checks for Animal Products

As the detailed operations of the Border Target Operating Model are developed, requirements and further information about Border Control Posts will be published. Designated Border Control Posts will continue to be published on GOV.UK, and the designation process for England will remain with the Animal and Plant Health Agency for products of animal origin and animal by-products and with the Welsh and Scottish Governments for their respective Border Control Posts.

Details of the operation of inland border infrastructure and the charging for checks conducted at them is set out in Section 3 of this document.

Governance

Technical oversight of the new risk-based approach will be provided via a UK wide panel of risk management experts, chaired by Defra and made up of risk analysts risk managers and policy representatives from the Animal and Plant Health Agency, the Food Standards Agency (which advises the UK and Welsh Governments), and Food Standards Scotland, alongside public health and disease control policy experts from the UK Health Security Agency and from the various governments.

Recommendations on checks rates will be coordinated by the relevant food safety, public health and animal health policy teams and be subject to agreement of the UK-wide Animal Disease Policy Group, the UK-wide Public Health Agencies and UK National Plant Protection Organisation, the Food Standards Agency, DAERA, Food Standards Scotland, and the Department for Health and Social Care and UK Health Security Agency as appropriate.

They monitor new and emerging disease outbreaks and food safety issues worldwide and assess the risk that diseases might come into the UK through trade in live animals, germinal or animal products (legal or illegal), through movement of wildlife, or through movement of things such as insects which may carry a disease. These outbreak assessments help to inform decisions around how to manage or reduce the risks. Emerging trends of food borne illness caused by contamination with bacteria, viruses, chemicals etc are also monitored to manage risks posed by food sources from exporting countries.

If risks increase or decrease and commodities need to move between risk categories, traders will be given 3 months notice so they can adapt their processes as needed, unless urgent protective action is required. The ability to apply emergency control measures on any commodities which pose an imminent risk to human or animal health will be retained.

There are already established mechanisms in place to stop a product from being imported to Great Britain from areas with a known pest or disease outbreak, and this will continue.

Import of samples

Product samples are imported for a range of different purposes across a range of different product types. In some areas, specific derogations from official controls for these movements already apply. These derogations will, where appropriate, be reflected in the implementation of the Border Target Operating Model, whereas in other areas the import processes for product samples will change. The general Border Target Operating Model framework on commodity risk and associated import health requirements will apply to samples for plants/plant products as for other consignments.

For commercial movements of samples of products of animal origin for human consumption (e.g. food samples sent to Great Britain for taste testing), the process for import will align with the standard process for the commercial import of goods outlined elsewhere within this document.

Animal by-product regulations specifically define ‘trade samples’ as those goods which are moved, with government authorisation, intended for study or analysis for the purposes of a commercial process (e.g. the testing of machinery to be used in production or testing for the development of a new pet food). A single risk category applies to these goods regardless of their nature. As animal by-product trade samples do not need to come from an approved establishment or meet the testing or processing requirements relevant to equivalent Animal by-product consignments EU origin trade samples have been placed in the ‘medium’ risk category.

Animal by-product ‘research samples’ can refer to a range of goods used in the research and scientific fields. Where these animal by-products meet the definition of a ‘research and diagnostic sample’ as outlined in regulation (e.g. they are for diagnostics for the promotion of science in an educational context) and they will not be re-sold for commercial purposes, goods can already be exempted from Border Control Post checks. This currently applies to both EU and Rest of World products and will continue to be the case under the Border Target Operating Model, assuming the same import conditions continue to be met.

Animal by-product research samples that may be re-sold do not benefit from this derogation and follow the process for commercial imports. The relevant process will be determined by the risk category that applies to the goods in question – high, medium, or low (e.g. medium risk goods will require a health certificate, if one is available).

Defra has already published guidance confirming that, where certain animal-by-product samples currently require a facilitation letter for import from the EU this requirement will fall away from 31 January 2024 if the goods are in the ‘low’ Border Target Operating Model risk category. Further, industry specific guidance will be provided.

Personal imports, including luggage, post and parcels

The Border Target Operating Model sets out the default requirement for commercial imports of animal products into Great Britain. We recognise that these requirements may be inappropriate for small quantities intended for personal use. That is why we will announce in October 2023 our future policy setting out any exemptions from commercial controls for small quantities of animal products intended for personal use, imported into Great Britain either in passengers’ luggage or in post and parcels. Post and parcels for personal use may include personal gifts (consumer-to-consumer) or goods which individuals purchase (business-to-consumer) for their own use. Business-to-business post and parcels are subject to commercial import requirements.

Trusted Trader approach for animal products

Data, technology and trusted relationships will be used to deliver robust upstream compliance that allows processes to be moved away from the border and improve flow of goods. Defra, the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government, the Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland have explored how Trusted Trader schemes can play a role in protecting public health and food safety while reducing burdens on industry.

Trusted Trader schemes are a well-established concept outside the field of Sanitary and Phytosanitary controls, for example Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) status for customs which allows simplification of customs procedures and reduced checks. Alongside the core internationally recognised components of the biosecurity scheme, an innovative role for trader assurance will be added.

For animal products we are proposing to pilot a scheme to develop trader assurances, on biosecurity and food safety risks, that are equivalent to official controls. The aim is to build on existing systems and data that traders have in place to allow us to hold them to the UK’s high biosecurity and food safety standards while offering certain facilitations from official controls. Overall, we will need to have the same, or higher, assurance compared to that provided by the standard official controls.

The proposed Accredited Trusted Trader Scheme (ATTS) is a single modular framework which will provide businesses with flexibility and choice in how they engage with the Trusted Trader approach. Businesses will be able to build a package of facilitations that aligns with their specific operational needs rather than needing to engage with a one-size-fits-all solution.

Membership of Accredited Trusted Trader Scheme will provide additional assurance to government and enable traders to demonstrate they have systems in place to manage biosecurity and food safety risks with government oversight. Businesses will continue to be held to the UK’s high biosecurity and food safety standards but will have different options for providing such assurance, with a range of benefits to traders in return.

So long as a business meets the minimum entry requirements to become a member of the Accredited Trusted Trader Scheme, it will have the option of applying for different facilitations on a modular basis; these include conducting checks away from the border, simplifying the certification process for goods moving to Great Britain from a consolidation hub, and sharing supply chain data with the authorities in return for facilitations proportionate to the level of assurance provided by the data. Each individual module will have specific membership criteria, depending on the benefit being granted and the controls the trusted trader is taking responsibility for.

The pilots will be co-designed with industry participants in the run up to any launch date. We will conduct an Expression of Interest process to provide an opportunity for a representative range of businesses to participate in the pilots delivered from January 2024. More detail on the pilots is below.

As it develops, the Border Target Operating Model Trusted Trader approach will be assessed against five high-level principles:

Protect or enhance domestic biosecurity animal and public health.
Maintain export markets.
Minimise burdens and costs to industry.
Provide benefits to businesses, consumers and government and reduce costs (including running costs).
Accessible to as many sizes and types of businesses as possible, including small and medium enterprises.

6.7 Summary of the Accredited Trusted Trader Scheme for animal products

Pilots will be used to establish the final membership criteria but as a minimum, Accredited Trusted Trader Scheme members will be required to:

Be a registered business in the UK for custom purposes;
Have a record of pre-notifications, initially since January 2022 (other than companies importing solely from the island of Ireland).

Depending on the modules of Accredited Trusted Trader Scheme that a business wishes to engage with, further requirements may apply including:

Be registered or approved by their local authority, the Food Standards Agency or Food Standards Scotland as a food business or registered with, or approved by, Animal and Plant Health Agency as an animal by-product business;
Have no adverse Sanitary and Phytosanitary compliance history;
Have no adverse customs compliance history;
Have a named responsible person/s for the identification, management and monitoring of risks;
Implement government-produced standard operating procedures to ensure equivalent assurance of public health and biosecurity safeguards;
Have bio-secure premises and infrastructure;
Provide end to end supply chain assurance; and
Have suitably trained staff who can act independently.

It is fundamental that the Accredited Trusted Trader Scheme is co-designed by government and industry, so ambitious businesses will be part of these pilots with a view to making the co-designed model available to all businesses who wish to apply and meet the criteria, if the pilot is successful.

Pilots will need to be fully risk assessed and reviewed as they progress to ensure the measures in place are providing equivalent assurance in practice. They will look to build upon industry practices in developing requirements for assurance, with the final scheme design finalised after these pilots take place. These assurances are essential for the pilot schemes to operate, and in all instances final decisions will be taken prior to when we go-live depending on whether governments believe the pilot can operate safely under pilot conditions.

The pilots will consider:

Overall system – what is a business’ overall strategy for complying with import conditions? How does it review its system, how does it plan to agree variations with the Competent Authority?
Traceability – how does it trace a product from primary producer through to retailer?
Supplier assurance – what level of consistency does it have in the supply chain, what does it ask for in terms of assurance, how does it verify?
What are the requirements for accreditation for premises?
What data/certificates is it collecting and how much of this does it share with the Competent Authority?
How does the trader deal with non-compliant consignments?
How does the trader deal with other notifiable events?
How will the trader work with officials to allow audits?
Criteria for membership, fees and dealing with non-conformity to scheme rules.

The pilots will be built around four key phases:

Core framework policy development.
Application and onboarding phase for businesses involved in the pilot.
Pilot Development working in partnership with Devolved Governments, the Food Standards Agency, Food Standards Scotland and industry participants.
Piloting and evaluation.

January 2024 – Certification Logistics Pilot

This module of Accredited Trusted Trader Scheme focuses on streamlining the certification process for animal products, allowing an Export Health Certificate to be used from the point of origin of the goods (e.g. a manufacturing site) without the need for re-certification at a consolidation hub in the EU prior to dispatch to Great Britain so long as the Trusted Trader can provide acceptable assurances regarding the biosecurity integrity of the goods in the interim, throughout transport, storage and any limited manipulation that is permitted.

This represents a change from the requirement for goods to be reinspected by an Official Veterinarian at a consolidation hub if they are unloaded and reloaded for transport to Great Britain. The change could potentially save businesses substantial time and administrative resources and expedite the overall movement. This facilitation will also help to alleviate pressures facing the Official Veterinarian workforce, and the associated challenges this creates for the import industry. Delivery of this pilot is dependent on EU Official Veterinarians being willing to certify goods in this way.

The pilot beginning in January is focused on reducing the logistical constraints for specific business models. We will engage with businesses which meet the required criteria, to co-design and carry out the initial pilot with us from January. Some businesses have already been identified and others who wish to be involved can apply, through an EOI that will be issued shortly. If the first stage of the pilot is successful, we may then look to expand the pilot and will run a selection process for other businesses to register interest in taking part later in 2024.

April 2024 – Checks Away From Border Pilot

This module of Accredited Trusted Trader Scheme would allow frequent importers of products of animal origin and animal by-products to reduce the need for routine physical checks at the Border Control Posts by taking responsibility for carrying out checks at other locations, to ensure the protection of biosecurity, animal and public health whilst being closely regulated by government. The checks carried out by the Trusted Trader at their own site will not necessarily replicate the Border Control Post model, but will provide equivalent biosecurity and public health assurance to government.

This change has the potential to substantially enhance operational efficiency for businesses. Conducting checks at an appropriate location away from the border will contribute to smooth border flow. In turn, this will reduce delays at the border , improving the efficiency of the overall supply chain. It will also enable businesses to better plan and manage logistics by offering more predictable and consistent timelines, thereby enhancing overall operational predictability.

Further ATTS Modules

Further modules are being considered as part of the Accredited Trusted Trader Scheme, one of these will consider how supply chain data and technology already utilised by businesses could be drawn upon to provide biosecurity and public health assurances. This will build on the findings from our Ecosystem of Trust pilots.

Initially, it will be considered whether a module could be designed which draws upon environmental sensor data from devices which record the temperature, humidity and carbon dioxide levels, as well as smart seals, which can track unlocking events and location, to determine whether journey assurance evidence can be utilised as part of sanitary/phytosanitary controls.

The precise benefits associated with this module would need to be determined as part of the co-design and pilot phases, but we initially envisage a proportionate reduction in the level of checks based on the assurance secured via the relevant technology.

Over time there is scope for the technology module of Accredited Trusted Trader Scheme to be expanded, to utilise technological advancements as they become available to provide further benefits to traders, and when the Single Trade Window has full functionality.

The timelines for this module (and any other additional modules) are still being considered and will be finalised based on the output of the co-design period. Where possible we will look to initiate pilots for additional benefits from April 2024 in line with the Checks Away From The Border pilot. Initially pilots of additional benefits may be limited in scope, for example working with businesses piloting the use of temperature control data to collect an initial data set to act as a baseline for equivalent assurance.

Evaluation Approach

Official oversight, verification and audit is critical in the pilot phase.

The high-level framework for the Checks Away From Border pilot, for example, could cover:

supply chain information (where the products come from, how they are produced, by whom etc.);
production assurance - rules/regulations for producers to uphold (auditing), sampling and testing of products etc;
pre-arrival checks (for example at a hub in mainland Europe);
assurance during transit - temperature trackers, digital seals etc;
checks at destination (including who undertakes them and the qualifications they hold/training they have undertaken);
relevant data utilisation and sharing to inform compliance levels and identify non-compliance.

The objective of pilots will be the evaluation of how the Trusted Trader can fulfil the assurances listed above to be able to access Accredited Trusted Trader Scheme benefits, while maintaining the required standards.

Information on how businesses can apply to take part will be released following publication of the Border Target Operating Model, through an Expression of Interest process which will run following publication of the final TOM. An extended period of co-design is anticipated, followed by the pilots which we expect to run for 6 to 12 months. The pilots will then be formally reviewed and a full scheme will follow if successful.

These proposed Trusted Trader schemes will form an important part of a cross-Government approach to Trusted Trader schemes ensuring that they are both beneficial and accessible to industry.

6.8 High Risk Food and Feed of Non-Animal Origin (HRFNAO)

The controls for high risk food and feed of non-animal origin will align closely with those applied to animal products in the medium risk category. Designated Border Control Posts will continue to be published on GOV.UK, and the designation process will remain with the Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland.

Governance of high risk food and feed of non-animal origin will broadly continue to be under the provisions set out in relevant regulations. Retained Regulation 2019/1793 (as amended) sets the temporary increase of official controls and emergency measures governing the entry into Great Britain of certain high risk food and feed of non-animal origin from certain countries. We will carry out a wider review to consider measures that will increase efficiencies in the listing of commodities under the Regulation, so that we can respond quickly to dynamic threats to the border. There will continue to be a legal requirement for the enhanced control measures to be regularly reviewed. The reviews will continue to be delivered through an enhanced risk analysis process by the Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland and provide recommendations to Ministers to establish proportionate measures governing the entry into Great Britain of high risk food and feed of non-animal origin on a commodity and country of origin basis.

6.9 Importing Plants and Plant Products under the Border Target Operating Model

Risk categorisation

Under the new regime controls will be applied to goods proportionately based upon their risk categorisation. Regulated plants and plant products will be categorised into three main risk categories, low, medium and high. The higher the risk category the greater the assurance requirements imposed. There are goods which are not regulated at all, and some which pose such a threat that they are banned by default and may only be imported under a derogation or following specific risk assessment.

The new model moves away from the default EU level of 100% checks for plants for planting and produce with an identified pest or disease risk. This will reduce to 3-5% (for most produce with exceptions where specific risk factors apply) and 5-100% (for plants for planting in Great Britain) depending on risk. This approach, developed following a public consultation at the end of 2021, recognises that plants are inherently higher risk compared to fresh produce, but recognises the intended use of plants (e.g. end use or commercial propagation/production).

This new Great Britain-focused risk-based import inspection regime aims to ensure that impacts from plant health checks are at the appropriate level to the degree of risk posed by different categories of commodities and that the phytosanitary regime remains appropriate to address the biosecurity risk which Great Britain faces.

Controls that will be applied to Plants and Plant Products

The default for plants, plant products and other regulated products listed in Annex XI, Part A of the retained EU Regulation 2019/2072 (“the Phytosanitary Conditions Regulation”) will not be 100% checks but rather between 3-5% for most medium risk products and 5-100% on the highest risk products. Where specific risk factors apply, in relation to specific products from specific origins, the frequencies will be adjusted as appropriate. Items listed in Part C of Annex XI do not require phytosanitary certificates to enter Great Britain and do not require phytosanitary inspection. They are excluded from being part of a risk targeted inspection regime.

The precise rate of checking within a specific risk category will be based on an assessment of the specific risk factors linked to the pathway concerned.

To ensure that the risk categorisation remains appropriate over time, low risk goods will be subject to robust surveillance for pests that are currently controlled and for new and emerging pests. This will be done through:

Monitoring to detect new and emerging issues; and

Targeted action in response to intelligence/information to follow up leads in relation to specific threats identified.

Monitoring via surveys will detect new and emerging issues. In addition, targeted surveys in response to intelligence or in relation to specific threats will continue in line with current plant health regulations. Any surveillance of low risk goods will be carried out at the most appropriate locations and times, and may include incidental checks alongside inspections of high and medium risk goods and checks downstream of the border at premises being visited for other plant health purposes.

Further information relating to the risk category of plants and plant products that enter free circulation in the EU and are exported from there can be found on the Plant Health Portal.

The risk categories for goods from non-EU countries will be published in August 2023 on the Plant Health Portal.

The new Border Target Operating Model will significantly reduce the number of identity and physical checks while ensuring resources are focused on consignments presenting the greatest biosecurity and public health risks. It will allow us to focus resources on consignments presenting the greatest risk to the UK, and will also enable us to expand the scope of our control regime to include the large volume of plant and plant products imported from the EU. Figure 4 shows how the new regime will compare to the regime intended for implementation in July 2022 (which would have mirrored the EU approach).

Figure 4: Rate of checks under the Border Target Operating Model compared to the current EU regime Checks for Plants and Plant Products

Risk Category	Plant / product	(GB) Checks %			Indicative Checks % Under the current EU regime
Risk Category	Plant / product	Doc	ID	Physical	Check rates (across 5 risk categories)**
High Risk	Plants for planting – woody and/or for commercial production	100%	100%	100%	100%
	Plants for planting – non-woody and for retail sale as outdoor plants	100%	30%	30%	100%
	Plants for planting – non woody and for retail sale as indoor plants	100%	5%	5%	100%
Medium Risk	Plant products - identified risk linked to a trade	Generally: 5 (RoW*) and 3 (EU)	Generally: 5 (RoW*) and 3 (EU)	Generally: 5 (RoW*) and 3 (EU)	100 (reduced frequency for around 60 trades)
Low Risk	All other regulated plant products	0	0	0	1

*In some circumstances some products with specific requirements will be subject to a higher rate of checks and specific set of processes

**A more detailed breakdown of the frequencies of plant health import inspections under the current regime is set iut in Annex E for reference

Whilst Border Control Posts will be the location of checks for some plants and plant products, others will be checked at Control Points. Control Points are inland inspection facilities where checks of plants and plant products can take place under customs supervision. Goods moved to a Control Point are under customs control and cannot be opened until the inspector (or authorised operator) is present.

Border Control Posts and Control Points must meet specific minimum standards, including inspection areas, storage/detention areas and unloading areas with appropriate cover. These are designed to provide a bio-secure environment until goods have passed plant health checks. Border Control Post and Control Point premises must be customs authorised as a temporary storage facility. This latter approval is managed by the Border Force National Frontier Approvals Unit (NFAU) or through HMRC.

Governance

Inspection frequencies and the risk categories will remain responsive to risk and assessed threats. The cross-government Imports Threat and Horizon Scanning sub-group (which reports to the UK Plant Health Risk Group) will monitor import and interception data, and the UK Plant Health Risk Group will have authority to change inspection rates, for example in response to interceptions of pests or new threats emerging. These groups represent all governments in the UK through the Plant Health Provisional Common Framework. This may result from time-to-time goods moving between the different risk categories based on the risk they pose. In the event a good is re-categorised, traders will usually be given a minimum of three months notice, but in most cases more, before those changes are applied.

Interception data will be available on the UK Plant Health Interception Notification System. The Plant Health Advisory Forum will be informed of proposed changes to inspection frequencies before their introduction.

Whether further safeguards are needed is continually monitored and scientific processes assess the changing threats to plant biosecurity. Regulations associated with tree and plant imports are frequently reviewed and updated as part of this process.

If a significant plant health threat is identified, the inspection rate will be adjusted immediately. Adjustments will ensure a close link between the assessed risk and the inspection rate, and criteria would be based on, for example:

Incidences of non-compliance with phytosanitary requirements in comparison with the number of consignments;
The nature of any non-compliance, for example if pests that pose a significant concern are detected, this will lead to a higher level of checks than if pests of low risk are reported.

Inspection rates will also be reviewed annually by the cross-government Imports Threats Group (made up of technical plant health experts from across the UK). Given inspection frequencies are linked to fees, more frequent changes would add uncertainty for businesses. A horizon scanning regime will be maintained to provide an early warning system for new and emerging plant pests and diseases.

Details of the operation of inland border infrastructure and the charging for checks conducted at them is set out in Section 3 of this document.

Personal imports, including luggage, post and parcels

The Border Target Operating Model sets out the requirement for commercial imports of plants and plant products into Great Britain. We are considering whether any of these controls can be disapplied to small quantities intended for personal use and will announce the outcome shortly.

Delegated Authority Approach for Plants - Authorised Operator Status

Under the Authorised Operator Status (AOS), it is proposed that a trader, with appropriately trained personnel and internal control systems, can achieve authorisation, meaning their level of expertise is sufficient to perform physical and identity import checks. However, authorisation needs to be piloted to evaluate feasibility, both for the trader’s operational competency and biosecurity risks. The aim is for this to be a Great Britain-wide scheme. Conversely, the pilot may demonstrate non-feasibility and consequently a decision made for AOS not to proceed.

Responsibility for performing physical import checks will be delegated to private operators who meet the eligibility criteria. The criteria will include having their premises designated as a Control Point, for which there are a set of infrastructure requirements, and require in-depth systems audits of processes.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency and SASA will be responsible for auditing Authorised Operators. The training will be tailored to the goods the Authorised Operator imports. Competence will be determined through formal sign off by the Animal and Plant Health Agency/SASA and there will be regular refresher training for Authorised Operators.

Although there will be a cost for training and audit aspects of the scheme, Authorised Operator Status brings the potential for a number of benefits to be realised, subject to a successful pilot;

Authorised Operators (AO) will have flexibility to conduct inspections at their business premises (designated Control Point) at a time that suits them, not having to await Plant Health Service’s attendance.
This will result in produce being entered into free circulation as soon as customs and plant health checks are completed, thus reducing the AO’s “time to market” window.

6.10 Summary of the Authorised Operator Status (AOS) scheme for the import of Plants and Plant Products

The eligibility criteria will include being:

UK registered business - The business must be established in the UK for customs purposes; registered with the relevant UK plant health service as a professional operator; have entered into an agreement with Animal and Plant Health Agency and SASA;
Designated ‘Authorised’ and ‘Responsible’ Person - The Authorised Person conducts the checks, while the Responsible Person will have board level authority, act as the point of contact and have overall accountability for the organisation’s status;
Documented internal processes for inspection and management of biosecurity risks;
Bio secure premises (control point designation and custom authorisation);
Training on conducting plant health checks, including detection and preliminary identification of quarantine pest and disease; and
The business will document how any conflicts of interest will be managed internally and how risks to impartiality will be minimised.

Authorised Operator responsibilities will include:

Ensuring the supplier has necessary phytosanitary certificates;
Submitting a pre-notification (uploading a scanned copy of the phytosanitary certificate) and customs declaration;
Declaring goods for inspection; and
Performing risk-based physical and identify checks and report the outcome of those inspections to the relevant UK plant health authority.

Conflict of Interest

There should be no reason a private business cannot be trained and trusted to carry out reliable import checks in the way that a public body is. Managing any conflict of interest between biosecurity and trade that businesses may face in relation to the Authorised Operator Status will be key.

A code of ethics that the Authorised Operator and responsible person sign and update on an annual basis will be included, together with the potential use of visible indicators such as logos by the business as an indicator of compliance. Businesses will draft plans for managing conflicts of interest internally, with clear procedures through which the Authorised Person can report a pest to Animal and Plant Health Agency/SASA.

Compliance

Non-conformity with scheme requirements will trigger corrective action by the Authorised Person/Operator. Critical non-conformities will lead to withdrawal of the authorisation. A range of softer enforcement measures (advice, guidance, letters) and stronger civil and criminal sanctions are being considered, depending on the severity of the non-compliance.

Compliance measures will be geared towards those who, for instance, try to destroy consignments without reporting the pest or disease to the Animal and Plant Health Agency and the SASA, falsify inspection records or distribute the consignment before completion of inspections, in the hope of avoiding negative consequences for the business. This will link up with the 2025 Border Strategy and the move towards responsive regulation, allowing for differentiated (responsive) enforcement based on the profile and behaviour of the business in question.

Pilot Design and timelines

We will carefully consider the results of the pilot before the rollout of Authorised Operator Status. Wood and wood products, seed, potatoes (seed and ware) and grains are not included in the pilot scope. All other plants and plant products are included. Review of risk categorisation on fruit and veg from the EU will be delayed to align with the pilots, unless there is an increased risk to biosecurity.

The Authorised Operator Status will be piloted in two stages.

The initial pilot phase will involve trialling and testing individual Authorised Operator Status components, including elements such as the delivery, and aspects of the auditing process. This is currently planned for Q4 2023.
Subject to the success of the individual components trial, a full end-to-end pilot will be initiated in Q2 2024. There will be opportunities to strengthen any elements that do not ensure adequate biosecurity controls, whilst ensuring the process is efficient for the Authorised Operator.

There will be an application process for Expression of Interest (EOI) for the pilot. This will likely involve a form of selection process to ensure a range of sectors and businesses are covered.

There will be no specific AOS fees and charges associated with the pilot, however, statutory fees will still need to be paid to the inspectorate for their role in the physical and ID inspection of imported goods during the pilot. These inspection fees will, during the pilot, remain as per current inspection fees in each country.

In order to pilot the system as fully and accurately as possible, pilot businesses will need to have a designated Control Point.

For full AOS rollout businesses who wish to gain Authorised Operator Status can initiate their application for Control Point designation between now and mid-2024. This will enable businesses to bridge the gap between Border Control Posts going live, and full access to the Authorised Operator Scheme. Once Control Point designation has been granted, Animal and Plant Health Agency/SASA would be able to carry out import checks at the business’ Control Point premises.

Interactions With Other Assurance Schemes

AOS is focused on enabling AOs to carry out authorised checks on physical and identity checks on imported plants and plant products. This is distinct, but complementary in delivering efficiencies and benefits for businesses that are already part of other plant health assurance schemes. Traders will be required to work to the same import procedures as the competent authority (APHA / SASA).

Enforcement and Penalties for Non-Compliance

The APHA/SASA already have the enforcement powers under OCR to withdraw or suspend delegated tasks and a formal process is being designed to apply during AOS testing and piloting. AOS auditing activities will provide an effective tool to manage the risk adequately.

6.11 Simplification and Digitisation of Health Certificates

For the import of animal products to Great Britain we have simplified export health certificates, removing unnecessary detail. The new simplified export health certificates for products of animal origin and animal by-products have now been published. This simplification maintains the control needed and reduces opportunities for administrative error by reformatting the certificates. Guidance about attestations have been removed from the certificate itself into an annex. Rest of World trading partners will be able to use the simplified export health certificates once the rollout to EU countries is completed.

Simplified health certificates are available for EU and Rest of World traders. These can be found here.

From January 2024 we will extend the current use of PDF Export Health Certificates for live animals to imports of animal products from the EU and EEA/EFTA countries. We will accept PDF versions of digitally signed Export Health Certificates to be attached to IPAFFS pre-notifications for POAO imports without the need to send the original paper certificate with the consignment. These certificates will need to be created directly in either TRACES or within an EU / EFTA / EEA Member State’s National SPS Export System, where they can be electronically verified against the original certificate, for example through the use of embedded QR codes. We will publish in the summer a list of non-TRACES Member States that can use PDF versions of Export Health Certificates. We are also developing a digital solution to allow the direct cloning of Digital Export Health Certificates from exporting countries where the capability is available, starting with Live Animal Export Health Certificates from November 2023 from countries using TRACES in the EU. This will reduce the time taken for traders in Great Britain to complete import notifications in IPAFFS. It will improve the checking of notifications as a higher level of assurance will be provided by being able to verify a notification through an assured and trusted source. Certificates will be made available automatically in Great Britain systems when uploaded by the Official Veterinarian or official in the exporting country. Third party software will not be required for importers to access these certificates.

The rollout of this fully digitised certification relies on take up and agreements with our trading partners. We expect to be able to deliver digitised certification for imports of plant and plant products from Summer 2023 for the Netherlands and EU Member States that use TRACES as an export platform, and animal products from EU Member States that use the Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES) from early 2024. A timeline for the rollout of digital certification is below. Digitised health certification will be extended to non-EU trade partners over time subject to negotiation and as trade partner readiness allows; further details will be provided as developments are confirmed.

Timeline for Implementing the new Sanitary and Phytosanitary model

Controls for the highest risk goods are already in place and the new Sanitary and Phytosanitary model will be phased in over time, starting first with critical controls to protect the UKs biosecurity, animal and public health. For goods moving from the island of Ireland, refer instead to Section 2 of this document.

From 31 October 2023 we will:

Accept submission of simplified export health certificates for Rest of World trade. The new simplified export health certificates for products of animal origin have been published and certificates for animal by-products will be available shortly. This simplification will maintain the control needed and reduce opportunities for administrative error by reformatting the certificates. It will also move guidance about attestations from the certificate itself into an annex.

From 31 January 2024:

Introduce simplified export health certificates and phytosanitary certificates for medium risk animal products and phytosanitary goods imported from the EU.
Begin sample documentary checks on medium risk goods from the EU, but there will be no new routine controls undertaken on these goods at the border, so initially there will be no charges for documentary checks or holds for inspection.
The removal of pre notification requirements for low risk plant and plant products from the EU.
Introduce pre-notification requirements for EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary goods that enter Great Britain via West Coast ports.
We will begin Certification Logistics Pilots and Accredited Trusted Trader Pilots Schemes as outlined above.

From 30 April 2024, a new global risk-based import regime for both EU and non-EU goods will be implemented. Specifically:

The new checks at the border on medium risk EU origin goods will be introduced (except at West Coast GB ports).
All goods to which import health controls apply will be required to enter via a point of entry that has the relevant Border Control Post or in the case of plants or plant products a Control Point designation for those goods.
Health certificates and routine checks at the border will no longer be required for low risk animal products for import from non-EU countries with the exception of intelligence-led interventions on low risk animal products.
The requirements for import controls on certain low risk plants and plant products from non-EU countries will start to be removed, where supported by risk assessments. Health certificates and routine checks at the border will not be required for such products.
Medium risk animal products will be subject to reduced levels of intervention at the border with identity and physical check levels being lower than now for imports from non-EU countries.
The introduction of Common Health Entry Documents (CHEDs) for all live animal, HRFNAO and animal product imports from the EU is required to support the introduction of identity and physical checks from the end of April 2024. CHEDs will replace the Import Notifications (IMPs) currently required for live animal, HRFNAO and animal product imports from the EU. There is currently no HRFNAO of EU origin listed so this requirement refers to where HRFNAO from outside the EU has been placed on the EU market and not been subject to any further processing. CHEDs for live animal and HRFNAO imports from the EU will be implemented by the end of November 2023, with CHEDs for animal product imports from the EU implemented by the end of January 2024.

From 31 October 2024 we will introduce check requirements for EU SPS goods that enter Great Britain via West Coast ports^{[footnote 3]}. We will also further simplify traders’ management of Sanitary and Phytosanitary requirements, with the introduction of the UK Single Trade Window that will remove duplication across pre-arrival datasets where possible.

6.12 Supporting different business models for importing groupage loads of Sanitary and Phytosanitary goods

Groupage involves transporting multiple consignments, each with its own health certificates, on a single lorry or container. This can include consolidating consignments at a hub or gathering them from various pick-up points before exporting. It can also refer to different goods that meet the same core requirements being combined into a single consignment with a single health certificate. Businesses importing Sanitary and Phytosanitary goods into Great Britain through groupage will need to plan ahead, taking into account that different goods may have distinct requirements.

Groupage of animal products

In the first instance, the Border Target Operating Model will facilitate continued groupage movements by delivering a risk-calibrated regime:

a. Low risk animal products will not require an export health certificate to enter Great Britain and will not be subject to routine border checks by default. This will simplify the treatment of groupage loads containing low risk products. 90% of all Sanitary and Phytosanitary commodities have been categorised as low risk; this supports the continuation of groupage as a viable business model.

b. Medium risk animal products will be subject to reduced levels of intervention at the border with identity and physical check levels being lower than now (for imports from Rest of World).

c. High risk animals and animal products are rarely moved using groupage but would always be subject to certification and border checks.

Where products do not require an export health certificate, the complexity of securing a certificate for groupage loads will be removed. Where products are subject to no routine, or reduced levels, of identity and/or physical checks at the border, the risk of a compliant consignment in a mixed load being detained for checks will be reduced.

To support this approach, we have classified animal products based on their risk levels, with a comprehensive summary now available here for imports from EU and EFTA countries. A similar list will be published for non-EU countries in August 2023.

When Export Health Certificates are necessary, it is recognised that obtaining multiple Export Health Certificates for different consignments within the same load can pose logistical challenges and potentially increase costs for traders handling smaller consignments. To help address these issues, we have developed several strategies to facilitate importing medium risk animal products under the Border Target Operating Model. The primary goal is to streamline the process while upholding rigorous biosecurity and public health protection standards. Guidance will be available before 31 January 2024.

Groupage of animal products: Simplified operational models

We have simplified our previous groupage guidance to focus on two primary operational models: the “Consolidation Hub” and the “Multiple Pick-up “ models. These models can be referenced by traders as part of their operational planning.

The “Consolidation Hub” model is designed for businesses dealing in large volumes, allowing the collection of individual consignments at a single hub, thereby simplifying certification.
The “Multiple Pick-up “ model is suitable for businesses with smaller volumes, supporting the collection of individual consignments from multiple locations, with certification at each pick-up point.

We have also revised the official seal requirements for both operational models to ensure fairness and equal treatment of groupage loads. Great Britain authorities will only require official seals for animal products where they are mandated within the Export Health Certificate. Unless otherwise specified by the Export Health Certificate or the Competent Authority, traders will be free to implement their own measures for secure transportation and to differentiate individual consignments within a groupage or mixed load.

Groupage of animal products: Streamlined certification and use of schedules to facilitate groupage

In our efforts to simplify groupage imports, we have implemented streamlined Export Health Certificates. These revised certificates, accessible here, uphold the required Sanitary and Phytosanitary biosecurity controls while being shorter in length. To further assist groupage, they include ‘inclusive ‘and/or’ statements as opposed to the exclusive ‘either/or’ statements that were included in previous Export Health Certificates. This means that products that meet different conditions can be certified together onto a single Export Health Certificate where previously this was not the case. For example, egg products that have been subject to different forms of treatment to mitigate the risk of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza can now be certified together on a single Export Health Certificate as long as they meet all other requirements of the certificate (e.g., dispatched from the same EU approved premises).

Groupage of animal products: Enhancing Flexibility for Notifiers

We are exploring increased flexibility for notifiers to submit dynamic data beyond specified pre-notification periods, to help reduce logistical pressure. The first facilitation will be the allowance of “Groupage” to replace vehicle registration details on Export Health Certificates for individual consignments. This eliminates the need for businesses to provide vehicle registration details for each consignment within a groupage or mixed load at the point of certification.

There are limited exceptions to this allowance - when the Export Health Certificate or associated guidance mandates means of transport inspection, it is imperative to have the transport/vehicle details certified in the Export Health Certificate by the relevant Certifying Officer (CO). Furthermore, during the pre-notification process in the IPAFFS system, actual transport/vehicle details must be accurately provided. Failure to adhere to this requirement may lead to failure in documentary checks.

Groupage of animal products: specific Trusted Trader pilots

We will launch the Certification Logistics Pilot in January 2024. This pilot aims to remove the cost burden associated with re-certification of groupage loads prior to dispatch from an EU consolidation hub. If the first stage of the pilot is a success we may look to expand it more broadly.

We understand that groupage movements continue to be a concern for stakeholders involved in the movement of medium risk animal products and we intend to continue to work closely with them in the run up to 31 January 2024 to test further facilitations – including concepts that will benefit traders undertaking multiple-pick up and multiple-drop off models.

Groupage of plants and plant products

For plants, a single phytosanitary certificate can already cover a range of different plants and plant products, they are not commodity specific. This means that a single certificate can cover an entire consignment, irrespective of how many different plants and plant products it contains. The composition of a groupage load of plants and plant products can change during the transport vehicle’s journey without impacting on the phytosanitary certificates issued to other consignments within the load. The composition of the individual consignments must not change after the phytosanitary certificate has been issued. This model is commonly used for non-EU imports, including those moved by Roll on Roll off (RoRo) ferries transiting the EU.

When one product within a consignment requires a physical check and the others do not this may mean that the entire consignment must be diverted for a check. We will work with importers and logistics firms who move mixed consignments to ensure complexity and cost is minimised under the new model.

6.13 Re-exports of Sanitary and Phytosanitary goods

Stakeholders’ views were sought on the impact of the new import controls on exports and on re-exports. Under the new model, certain low risk Sanitary and Phytosanitary goods that are imported to Great Britain will not need a health certificate. However, for goods that originate from outside the EU, an official veterinarian may currently be placing reliance on the information within a health certificate that accompanied the goods into Great Britain when certifying goods for re-export.

Therefore where EU and ROW origin Sanitary and Phytosanitary goods are being re-exported, and no health certification is required for import into Great Britain, certifiers will need to obtain the relevant supporting information. This can either come from a veterinarian in the original country of export or, where permitted, be based on commercial documentation. Discussion with stakeholders to date has not indicated significant concerns about obtaining certification for the re-export of low risk goods (noting that this is already occurring for the re-export of EU origin goods).

Recognising that this nonetheless represents additional complexity, guidance to assist certifiers is being developed and will be released according to the schedule outlined in Annex H.

6.14 Other Import requirements for Sanitary and Phytosanitary goods

There are specific import controls on some products that stem from specific aspects of UK legislation or our membership of international conventions covering the movement of these goods. The Border Target Operating Model does not propose changing these controls.

Convention for the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)

Species covered by the Convention for the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) will need to continue to meet existing import requirements.

Labelling

Pre-packaged food or caseins sold in Northern Ireland must include a Northern Ireland or EU Food Business Operator (FBO) address. If the FBO is not in Northern Ireland or the EU, include the address of your importer, based in Northern Ireland or the EU.

From 1 October 2023, pre-packaged food or caseins sold in Northern Ireland that have been moved to Northern Ireland from Great Britain through the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme may instead have a Great Britain, Channel Islands or Isle of Man address. Further information is available on GOV.UK.

You can continue to use an EU, Great Britain or Northern Ireland address for the FBO on pre-packaged food or caseins sold in Great Britain until 31 December 2023.

From 1 January 2024, pre-packaged food or caseins sold in Great Britain must include a UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Mann (‘British Islands’) address for the FBO. If the FBO is not in the British Islands, include the address of your importer, based in the UK.

Organic goods

The grace period in legislation which has exempted organic goods from the EU, European Economic Area and Switzerland to provide a Certificate of Inspection remains in effect until 31 December 2023. COI requirements for organic goods of other origins remain as they were before the end of the transition period. We will communicate shortly the arrangements which will apply in the future.

Timber

Imports of timber and timber products from the EU will remain subject to due diligence checks to ensure the goods have not been illegally harvested as set out in the UK Timber Regulation.

The UK Timber Regulations (UKTR) apply to imports into Great Britain and to timber placed on the market within Great Britain. The primary objective of the UK Timber Regulations is to tackle illegal logging and to create a demand for legally harvested timber. The UK Timber Regulations prohibits the placing of illegally harvested timber and timber products on the Great Britain market and requires operators, those first placing such products on the Great Britain market, to exercise due diligence. Those who trade in timber and timber products after they have been placed on the market are required to keep records of who they buy timber products from and any traders they sell them to. This enables timber and timber products to be traced.

Fishing documentation - Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU)

Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing documentation (catch certificates, processing statements and evidence of storage) must be sent in advance to the relevant port health authority, or local authority in Scotland, for imports of fish and fishery products. Certain exemptions apply as outlined in Annex I of the UK’s IUU regulation. These requirements are wholly separate, and in addition to, Sanitary and Phytosanitary requirements.

These documents are required now (including for imports from the EU) and must be sent by email (or provided physically if the port health authority/local authority requests) to the relevant authority in advance of the consignment’s arrival. In the future these documents will need to be uploaded to our system, the Import of Products, Animal, Food and Feed System (IPAFFS), but we will provide notice in advance of this becoming a requirement.

Port health authorities and local authorities charge a fee to recover costs for checking these documents (or, if deemed necessary, performing a physical inspection), and these fees are set by individual authority.

Importers will need to check the timescale requirements for submission of documentation with the relevant authority. The minimum timings outlined in the legislation are 72 hours in advance for imports by sea, 4 hours for rail or air, and 2 hours by road.

Question 6

7. 1.4. Transit

Accepted Answer

7.1 Overview

Traders can use a customs facilitation, known as the ‘Common Transit Convention’, to move goods into, out of, and through the UK. The Common Transit Convention allows for customs processes to be suspended as goods move through different customs territories until the final point of destination.

Traders can also use Sanitary and Phytosanitary transit procedures to move relevant consignments across Great Britain as a landbridge. In line with the broad approach to commercial imports, we are introducing a simplified but effective system of Sanitary and Phytosanitary controls for movements of these goods through Great Britain, which minimises both friction at the border and the administrative burden to traders.

This section focuses on how the Common Transit Convention can be used to bring goods into the UK, explaining how it interacts with the announced Safety and Security and Sanitary and Phytosanitary changes. It also includes detail of the checks that will be applied for Sanitary and Phytosanitary landbridge movements.

The core Common Transit Convention and customs requirements do not change as part of the Target Operating Model. Details of how the Common Transit Convention works in Great Britain and Northern Ireland can be found in the Transit Manual Supplement here.

7.2 Overview of Common Transit Convention requirements

When goods being moved under the Common Transit Convention arrive in the UK, the goods and the Transit Accompanying Document must be presented at an Office of Transit. The paper Transit Accompanying Document (including a list of items) must accompany the consignment(s) but the Office of Transit checks can be completed digitally using the new Goods Vehicle Movement Service.

Hauliers must complete the Office of Transit processes on arrival into the UK for every Common Transit Convention movement they are carrying, whether they end in or move through the UK as a landbridge movement.

To end a Common Transit Convention movement in the UK, the trader must present the goods and the Transit Accompanying Document at the UK Office of Destination or Authorised Consignee stated on their Common Transit Convention declaration.

The most efficient way to end movements is to become registered as an Authorised Consignee, which enables movements to end at a trader’s premises. More information on Authorised Consignee status can be found here.

If a movement has not been taken to an Office of Destination or Authorised Consignee premises to end the movement then the movement cannot be closed, the guarantee will not be released, and the Customs Office of Departure will open an enquiry with the holder of the procedure.

Discharging a Common Transit Convention movement into a customs procedure

The movement can only be ended if an import customs declaration is completed and the goods are released into free circulation, or entered into another customs procedure. If this does not happen by the time the goods arrive, they must be placed into temporary storage.

Pre-requisites

Traders moving goods under the Common Transit Convention need to provide a guarantee to secure any customs duty, import Value Added Tax and excise duty suspended during the transit movement. This applies to imports to GB and landbridge movements.

Businesses using the Common Transit Convention should apply for an authorisation to use a Customs Comprehensive Guarantee and obtain a guarantee from a bank or other financial institution. Holders of Customs Comprehensive Guarantees can also apply for a “Guarantee waiver” that reduces the amount the guarantor needs to provide to 50%, 30% or nil if a full waiver. Details on how to apply for a guarantee waiver can be found here.

Authorised consignees need to have a form of temporary storage. This does not require the premises to be inventory linked if goods are unlikely to be stored for more than 6 days. More information can be found here.

Systems

Lodging a Common Transit Convention declaration requires access to the New Computerised Transit System.

The New Computerised Transit System 5, coming in November 2023, will introduce several improvements that include:

The ability to amend pre-lodged declarations. Current Phase 4 capabilities mean the declaration must be cancelled and re-submitted if an amendment is required.
Presenting the Movement Reference Number (MRN) electronically. The current legislation requires a paper Transit Accompanying Document to be carried and presented with the goods at each customs Office of Transit en-route to destination which will cease once NCTS5 is adopted by all contracting parties.
Reporting incidents as they happen. There will be a new customs ‘Office of Incident’ role which means incidents will be recorded as they happen, at the nearest applicable customs office, as opposed to the current process whereby you need to wait until arrival at the Office of Destination which can cause delays.
The ability to enter Multiple House Consignments in one declaration which allows for multiple Consignors/Consignees in a single transit movement.
Introducing Commodity Codes (to 6 digits).

7.3 Safety and Security control requirements for goods moved under the Common Transit Convention

The use of transit movements including the Common Transit Convention does not impact requirements for Safety and Security declarations, which must be met separately. The upcoming changes to Safety and Security procedures that affect transit movements are outlined below.

By 20 December 2023 - introduction of a waiver for outbound transhipment goods

Since January 2021, a standalone Exit Summary Declaration has been required if goods are moved from Great Britain to the EU under the Common Transit Convention using a Transit Accompanying Document. By 20 December 2023, there will be a waiver for outbound goods when they have been transhipped and are leaving via a different port. This will apply as long as the goods are put into transit within 14 days of arrival and are moved under a single transport contract, with the import Safety and Security declaration still available and accurate.

From 31 October 2024 – introduction of an entry summary declaration on goods moving into Great Britain

From 31 October 2024, Safety and Security declarations will be required for all goods moving from the EU to Great Britain. At this point, a standalone Entry Summary Declaration will be required when goods are moving into Great Britain using a Transit Accompanying Document. This is in line with current practice for goods moving from non-EU countries to Great Britain using the Common Transit Convention processes.

Transit Security Accompanying Documents

The New Computerised Transit System Phase 6 (currently scheduled for implementation across all Common Transit Convention countries in 2025) will provide functionality to enable use of Transit Security Accompanying Documents.

This will remove the requirement for separate Entry Summary Declaration and Exit Summary Declarations when entering and exiting customs territories under the Common Transit Convention. So, for Common Transit Convention movements leaving GB, no Exit Summary Declaration will be required upon exit. For Common Transit Convention movements entering GB, Transit Security Accompanying Documents would remove the requirement for an Entry Summary Declaration upon entry.

The adoption of Transit Security Accompanying Documents is optional for each contracting party. If the UK opts into using Transit Security Accompanying Documents, but other Common Transit Convention contracting parties do not, there will still be benefits to GB traders in Transit Security Accompanying Documents being available.

The UK Government will promote the advantage of using Transit Security Accompanying Documents to other Common Transit Convention contracting parties, recognising that the greater the number that opt-in the greater the reduction in administrative burden to trade.

7.4 Sanitary and Phytosanitary control requirements for goods moving through GB as transit movements

Sanitary and Phytosanitary consignments that transit through the UK, including those using GB as a landbridge can pose biosecurity and public health risks. In line with the broad approach to commercial imports, as mentioned above, we are introducing a simplified but effective system of biosecurity controls for movements of these goods through Great Britain, which minimises both friction at the border and the administrative burden to traders.

Sanitary and Phytosanitary consignments imported to GB via a transit movement will be considered a standard import for Sanitary and Phytosanitary purposes and will need to meet standard controls. See Section 1.3 for further information.

The controls set out below are for Sanitary and Phytosanitary goods, moved through Great Britain whether travelling under the Common Transit Convention or other customs processes.

Animals and animal products

Currently, all Sanitary and Phytosanitary consignments using Great Britain as a landbridge require pre-notification via the Import of Products, Animals, Food and Feed System (IPAFFS).

Consignments from outside the EU using Great Britain as a landbridge require a specialised Sanitary and Phytosanitary ‘transit’ certificate that gives a reduced range of attestations. Live animals are subject to 100% documentary, identity and physical checks on entry. Animal products are subject to 100% documentary and identity checks on entry and identity (integrity of seal) check on exit. Physical checks are conducted in cases of suspected non-compliance.

We have published simplified model health certificates for animals and animal products using Great Britain as a landbridge. We have also published risk categories for animals and animal products from the EU, effective from 31 January 2024.

High risk EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary goods using Great Britain as a landbridge will require health certificates from 31 January 2024. They will be subject to 100% documentary checks on entry and to 100% identity (seal) checks on entry and 100% identity (integrity of the seal) checks on exit. Checks on EU consignments will begin on 30 April 2024 in line with those for imports.^{[footnote 4]}
Medium risk EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary goods using Great Britain as a landbridge will require health certificates from 31 January 2024. They will be subject to documentary checks on entry and to identity (seal) checks on entry and identity (integrity of the seal) checks on exit. Checks on EU transit consignments will begin on 30 April 2024 alongside checks on EU imports and will be undertaken at the same percentage rates for imports as set out in Figure 3 above.
Low risk EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary goods using Great Britain as a landbridge will not require health certificates or routine checks. However, they may be subject to non-routine/intelligence-led checks.

Live animals are inherently high risk. We will therefore require health certificates and 100% Sanitary and Phytosanitary entry checks (documentary, identity and physical) for live animal consignments using Great Britain as a landbridge. However, we are proposing a reduced checks regime for certain species with additional assurances (e.g., high health equines) in line with that for imports. The approach foresees verified elite racing equines receiving no checks through verifying sector data which enables us to have high confidence in their health status. Further details of this will be published separately following ongoing stakeholder engagement.

Our ambition is to move to a global risk-based regime for all Sanitary and Phytosanitary consignments using Great Britain as a landbridge. This is subject to undertaking further assessment of risk from non-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary landbridge movements and determining the extent to which additional technological and/or trader solutions can provide additional assurance. Until then, we will continue to apply existing checks to Sanitary and Phytosanitary consignments from the rest of the world using Great Britain as a landbridge.

Plants and plant products

For phytosanitary checks of plants and plant products using Great Britain as a landbridge we intend to introduce a simplified approach coupled with surveillance and non-routine checks to monitor the movement of goods using Great Britain as a landbridge. There will be no requirement for pre-notification via the Import of Products, Animals, Food and Feed System (IPAFFS) for entry or exit. Goods will continue to require a signed declaration stating that the goods are under phytosanitary transit and are packaged in such a way that there is no risk of spreading pests through Great Britain.

However these movements will still be subject to Common Transit Convention transit requirements and checks if using this facilitation to enter Great Britain.

Interactions between the Common Transit Convention and Sanitary and Phytosanitary Controls

Sanitary and Phytosanitary goods moving under the Common Transit Convention remain subject to Common Transit Convention and Sanitary and Phytosanitary control requirements.

Where Sanitary and Phytosanitary goods are moving under the Common Transit Convention and require a physical examination on entry for both Sanitary and Phytosanitary and Common Transit Convention purposes, we will aim to ensure that these checks are completed at the same time by the port health authority or local authority, and Border Force.

Question 7

8. Section 2: Movements from the island of Ireland

Accepted Answer

8.1 Border Target Operating Model

On 27 February 2023, the UK and EU agreed the Windsor Framework, providing a fundamentally new set of arrangements to restore the smooth flow of trade within the UK internal market; safeguard Northern Ireland’s place in the Union; and address the democratic deficit that was otherwise at the heart of the original Northern Ireland Protocol. Further detail on the arrangements giving effect to the Windsor Framework is available here.

The Border Target Operating Model ensures, further to the Windsor Framework, that Northern Ireland businesses will continue to benefit from unfettered access when moving goods to Great Britain. This confers those advantages on Northern Ireland traders moving Qualifying Northern Ireland Goods (QNIGs), ensuring they do not face any barriers when moving goods to Great Britain either directly from Northern Ireland or indirectly via Ireland, except for an extremely limited subset of goods such as endangered species.

From 31 January 2024 non-qualifying goods will face full customs controls and the requirement for pre-notification and certification when moved directly from Ireland via Irish ports to Great Britain. All ports will be required to apply full customs controls to non-qualifying goods and goods such as excise goods moving from Ireland to Great Britain, meaning that these goods must have a valid declaration and be customs cleared to be able to proceed to their destination. Customs controls for non-qualifying goods and goods such as excise goods moving via Northern Ireland ports will remain unchanged. The relevant Sanitary and Phytosanitary import requirements will also need to be followed for non-qualifying Sanitary and Phytosanitary goods moving directly from Northern Ireland to Great Britain or via Ireland, depending on the risk categorisation of the goods, as detailed elsewhere in the Border Target Operating Model. Safety and Security declarations will be required for goods moving directly from Ireland to Great Britain from October 2024, when the current EU waiver ends.

Guidance on which goods qualify for unfettered access when moving from Northern Ireland to the rest of the UK is available here and will be updated in due course to reflect the latest operating arrangements as set out in the Border Target Operating Model.

8.2 Protecting Unfettered Access for Qualifying Northern Ireland Goods

The Border Target Operating Model underlines the protection of Qualifying Northern Ireland Goods moving directly from Northern Ireland to Great Britain and extends these protections to indirect movements to Great Britain via Ireland. This is in order to ensure a continued and unwavering commitment to unfettered access for Northern Ireland businesses.

Since January 2021, the definition of a Qualifying Northern Ireland Good has remained unchanged with this status conferred on any good that is or has been present in Northern Ireland without being subject to customs supervision, restriction or control, or Northern Ireland processed products. This will remain the case for many businesses, however following extensive engagement with agri-food and farming stakeholders in Northern Ireland, new arrangements will apply for traders moving food and feed products when the Border Target Operating Model is introduced.

To ensure the benefits of unfettered access are more squarely focussed on Northern Ireland traders, and taking account of business feedback, food and feed products will need to be owned or processed in Northern Ireland by a Northern Ireland registered or approved food or feed business in order to be considered a Qualifying Northern Ireland Good for Sanitary and Phytosanitary purposes and exempt from Sanitary and Phytosanitary import requirements.

Northern Ireland businesses engaged in the manufacture, processing, sale or handling of food are already required to register with their District Councils or to be approved by the Food Standards Agency. Animal feed businesses are also already required to be registered or approved with the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland. This places no new burdens on Northern Ireland businesses moving food and feed in order for their goods to be considered Qualifying Northern Ireland Goods.

Where food and feed products are not owned, or processed in Northern Ireland by a Northern Ireland registered or approved food or feed business, these goods will be subject to the relevant Sanitary and Phytosanitary import requirements, depending on the risk categorisation of the goods, as detailed elsewhere in the Border Target Operating Model. The UK Government will work closely with the Scottish and Welsh governments to deliver these, and further details will be provided in due course.

8.3 Milestones

For non-qualifying goods, whether moving from Northern Ireland or Ireland to Great Britain, we intend to implement the model through two major milestones:

31 January 2024
i. The introduction of pre-notification requirements (except for low risk plants and plant products) and full customs controls.

ii. The introduction of health certification on imports of medium risk animal products, plants, plant products and high risk food and feed of non-animal origin from the EU.
From 31 October 2024
i. The introduction of documentary and risk-based identity and physical checks on medium risk animal products, plants, plant products and high risk food and feed of non-animal origin from the EU.^{[footnote 5]}

ii. The requirement for Safety and Security declarations for imports into Great Britain from the EU or from other territories where the waiver applies will come into force from 31 October 2024. Alongside this, we will introduce a reduced dataset for imports and use of the UK Single Trade Window will remove duplication where possible across different pre-arrival datasets – such as Safety and Security, Sanitary and Phytosanitary, and pre-lodged customs declarations.

8.4 Import Processes

Direct Northern Ireland - Great Britain

Customs

Arrangements for both Qualifying Northern Ireland Goods as well as non-qualifying goods moving directly from Northern Ireland to Great Britain will remain unchanged. This means Qualifying Northern Ireland Goods will continue to benefit from unfettered access to the Great Britain market with no new checks and controls, while non-qualifying goods will need to complete customs declarations and, if arriving in GB in certain locations, must manually notify HMRC of the arrival of their goods by the end of the working day following their movement.

Export declarations, checks and controls on exit from Northern Ireland continue to apply to an extremely limited group of Qualifying Northern Ireland Goods subject to certain international obligations binding on the UK and EU, such as the movement of endangered species.

Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS)

Arrangements for Qualifying Northern Ireland Goods moving directly from Northern Ireland to Great Britain will remain unchanged. Traders moving food or feed products must be registered or approved in Northern Ireland to continue to qualify for unfettered access to the Great Britain market as noted above.

Powers to act to deal with threats to food or feed safety, or of pest disease outbreaks, remain available across the UK. For example, movements from Northern Ireland to Great Britain of certain live animals meeting the Qualifying Northern Ireland Goods definition continue to be subject to pre-notification, certification and checks at destination.

When moving non-qualifying goods via Northern Ireland ports to Great Britain, you will need to follow the relevant Sanitary and Phytosanitary import requirements depending on the risk categorisation of your goods, as detailed elsewhere in the Border Target Operating Model.

At a minimum, the importer will be responsible for pre-notification of all relevant goods (except low risk plants and plant products) from January 2024 using Great Britain’s import of products, animals, food and feed system (IPAFFS), aligning with the requirements currently in place for all other EU imports. Medium and high risk goods will also require official certification. Sample documentary checks will take place on these goods where applicable.

Following the introduction of documentary and physical checks at west coast ports, goods may be subject to identity and physical checks on entry to Great Britain, in line with their risk categorisation.

Indirect Northern Ireland - Ireland - Great Britain

Customs

When moving Qualifying Northern Ireland Goods via Ireland to Great Britain, in the vast majority of cases you will no longer need to complete electronic import customs declarations for your goods movements.

At ports using the Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS), hauliers will still need to complete a Goods Movement Reference (GMR), but for most goods movements hauliers will only need to indicate they are moving Qualifying Northern Ireland Goods. At inventory linked ports or other locations, similar processes will be used to permit Qualifying Northern Ireland Goods to be released from inventories or local systems without requiring electronic declarations.

Hauliers and drivers will need to have access to commercial evidence if asked to confirm that their goods are Qualifying Northern Ireland Goods. They will also need access to a travel document issued in the UK setting out the destination of the goods, to show that the goods have merely passed through Ireland.

We will update guidance on these requirements ahead of 31 January 2024 and will provide traders and hauliers with time to understand the new arrangements.

When moving non-qualifying goods or goods such as excise goods to Great Britain via Ireland you will have to follow the core import requirements set out elsewhere in the Border Target Operating Model, the Border Operating Model, and in guidance, which will also list those goods which are subject to import requirements.

To meet customs requirements, traders importing non-qualifying goods and goods such as excise goods into Great Britain from Irish ports will need to make their customs declarations in the Customs Declarations Service (CDS), or work with a customs intermediary to do this on their behalf. Traders, hauliers and carriers will need to follow GVMS processes at ports using GVMS:

Traders will need to provide the reference numbers from their declarations to the person moving their goods.
Hauliers will need to include references for all pre-lodged import declarations in a GMR in GVMS containing the vehicle registration number (or trailer if unaccompanied) which must be presented to the carrier before boarding.
Carriers will need to ensure that all freight movements have a GMR and must send HMRC details of all GMRs (an embarkation notification) after the vessel has left.
Drivers or those moving goods will need to follow instructions on entry into Great Britain on whether they need to get their goods checked by customs on arrival or if they are able to continue their journey.

At inventory-linked ports or other locations, traders will need to follow standard processes to ensure goods are presented to customs, declared and cleared before they can be released to free circulation in Great Britain.

Goods moving under the Common Transit Convention (CTC) will continue to follow the CTC and GVMS requirements that currently apply for movements between Northern Ireland or Ireland and Great Britain.

Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS)

If you are moving Qualifying Northern Ireland Goods via Ireland to Great Britain, your goods will benefit from unfettered access, and you will not be subject to Sanitary and Phytosanitary import requirements as detailed elsewhere in the Border Target Operating Model. As noted above, we have ensured that those moving food and feed products need to be registered or approved through existing processes in order to be eligible as Qualifying Northern Ireland Goods to Great Britain.

When moving non-qualifying goods to Great Britain via Ireland, you will need to follow the relevant Sanitary and Phytosanitary import requirements depending on the risk categorisation of your goods, as detailed elsewhere in the Border Target Operating Model.

At a minimum, the importer will be responsible for pre-notification of all relevant goods (except low risk plants and plant products) using Great Britain’s import of products, animals, food and feed system (IPAFFS), aligning with the requirements currently in place for all other EU imports. Medium and high risk goods will also require official certification.

From 31 January 2024, sample documentary checks will take place on these goods where applicable.

Following the introduction of documentary and physical checks at west coast ports, goods may be subject to identity and physical checks on entry to Great Britain, in line with their risk categorisation.

8.5 Countering Avoidance

It is not permitted to move goods through Northern Ireland to avoid the UK tariff or other customs processes. Alongside existing customs anti-avoidance rules, we will ensure measures are in place to prevent avoidance of Sanitary and Phytosanitary import processes and, therefore, abuse of the arrangements for Northern Ireland’s unfettered access to the Great Britain market.

Where traders move goods for an avoidance purpose and therefore seek to bypass import checks and controls where these are required, traders may be subject to financial penalties, as well as Sanitary and Phytosanitary penalties and enforcement action, up to and including seizure, destruction or criminal sanction.

Question 8

9. Section 3: Border industry and port requirements

Accepted Answer

9.1 Infrastructure

Infrastructure requirements for Sanitary and Phytosanitary controls

Live animals, animal products, high risk food and feed of non-animal origin and medium and high risk plants and plant products must come through a port of entry with the relevant Border Control Post (BCP), previously known as a Border Inspection Post (BIP). Once the goods arrive, any necessary identity and physical checks will be carried out. A list of Border Control Posts for animals and animal products is published here on GOV.UK and will continue to be updated, as well as a list of authorised Border Control Posts for plant imports here on GOV.UK.

Most Border Control Posts will be positioned within a port or airport to support trade passing through the port. Rest of World goods are already subject to controls which require a Border Control Post and these are already in place at the relevant ports. Ports have been considering what changes may be required to their operating models in order to facilitate the introduction of controls on EU goods. This will primarily be changes to staffing and infrastructure requirements to reflect the check rates outlined in this document. If a port is no longer able to carry out checks on particular types of goods, traders would need to find an alternative route to import their goods into the country. However, it is in the interests of port operators to facilitate the necessary trade where there is demand. Most Border Control Post facilities are complete and ready to undertake checks, or are ready to receive final designation in advance of being required.

The requirement for Sanitary and Phytosanitary goods to enter through a point of entry with a Border Control Post also applies to international rail freight. The Official Controls Regulations only allow import checks to be performed beyond the point of entry in limited and specified circumstances. Defra is in discussions with industry on practical solutions to comply with these requirements for goods arriving via rail through the Channel Tunnel.

New or modified Border Control Posts in anticipation of the Border Target Operating Model regime will need to be designated by the relevant authorities in order to handle checks: Defra/Animal and Plant Health Agency and Food Standards Agency for England; Welsh Government Ministers for Wales; Animal and Plant Health Agency, Food Standards Scotland, Competent Authorities and Scottish Government Ministers for Scotland.

Inspection of plant and plant products can also take place at Control Points. These are designated inland inspection facilities where identity and physical checks can take place under supervision. Goods moved to a Control Points are under customs control and cannot be opened until the inspector (or authorised operator) is present.

Early engagement with the relevant authorities is recommended as there is likely to be high demand for designation in advance of the introduction of controls. Ports which have constructed new Border Control Posts supported by the Ports Infrastructure Fund should continue to engage with their Cabinet Office Single Point Of Contact.

9.2 Inland Sites

Where ports did not have sufficient land to build a Border Control Post to facilitate the introduction of Sanitary and Phytosanitary controls on EU goods, arrangements were made for the Government(s) to construct Border Control Posts at Inland Sites.

The provision of inland Border Control Post facilities in Kent for goods entering the UK through the Short Straits (Port of Dover and Eurotunnel) is being reviewed. A decision will be published soon on the future of both Sevington and Bastion Point Border Control Posts. Facilities will be operational from the introduction of checks in April 2024.

Plans are being developed for Border Control Posts to provide facilities for goods entering the UK through the ports in Holyhead and South West Wales. The facilities in Wales are expected to be operational from October 2024, in line with the timetable for the west coast.

Plans for other Inland Sites may be developed if deemed necessary following further analysis of expected check requirements.

Maps of the current Border Control Posts designated for Sanitary and Phytosanitary controls in Great Britain are set out at Annex F.

Charging arrangements at Inland Sites

It is the UK Government’s intention that there will be charging at Inland Sites to recover operating costs which are necessary to undertake physical inspections at Border Control Posts.

The UK Government has consulted on its proposed methodology and rates to inform charging levels. The proposal is to administer a Common User Charge on each consignment which enters through Port of Dover and Eurotunnel that is eligible for Sanitary and Phytosanitary checks. The charge would apply to all eligible consignments, whether or not they are selected for a Border Control Post inspection. The indicative Common User Charge rate is estimated to be in the region of £20-£43, however final rates will be determined following evaluation of the consultation responses. Supplementary information on charging arrangements at Inland Sites will be published in autumn 2023.

The UK Government continues to work closely with the Devolved Governments on charging policy, and is working towards extending these arrangements to cover other government-run Border Control Posts within Great Britain in the future.

HMRC is also exploring options on how to operate inland border facility services on a commercial basis and will engage stakeholders on these plans as they develop.

Live animal facilities

Live animals imported from the EU are currently subject to checks at their destination, and this will continue until border infrastructure is ready to move checks to Border Control Posts, expected to be during 2024. We will publish supplementary information on arrangements for live animals facilities at inland sites, and potential funding available for additional facilities at ports as these plans are developed.

Other border infrastructure

The changes described in this document to other aspects of the border, in particular the new Safety and Security model, do not have an immediate impact on the infrastructure required at ports. Over the next two years we are also improving our existing nuclear detection capability and infrastructure which will improve the flow of goods through the UK border. We will start to automate our wider detection estate which will further facilitate the flow of goods and enhance security at a number of ports. We plan to expand to more ports and enhance that automation from 2025 onwards. The Home Office has already started to engage with industry on its plans and will run further engagement over spring 2023: it is critical that industry and government work together to deliver innovative detection technology, logistics automation and enabling infrastructure (physical and technical).

Question 9

10. Section 4: Implementation timeline for the Border Target Operating Model

Accepted Answer

10.1 Border Target Operating Model implementation timeline

The new Border Target Operating Model will require technological and process change across the public and private sector organisations that deliver the border.

After engaging with stakeholders and considering both the implementation challenges they raised, alongside the existing and emerging biosecurity and security threats they highlighted, we have decided to slightly alter the timeline we originally published in the draft version of the Border Target Operating Model. This will give businesses and their supply-chains the time they need to prepare. We have also set out further detail on the timeline for implementing controls on movements from the island of Ireland at ports on the West Coast of Great Britain, which are explained in Section 2.

Our key considerations when developing the timeline have been:
the need for effective management of the country’s biosecurity and security risks.
the need to give businesses sufficient time to implement the model in their systems and processes.
the need to ensure supply chains have time to adapt and are not disrupted.
the speed at which we can work with stakeholders to build the systems and infrastructure required under the new model, including the rollout of the UK Single Trade Window.

The three major milestones for introduction of the model (other than for goods moving from the island of Ireland) are:

31 January 2024 - Export health certificates and phytosanitary certificates are introduced for medium risk animal products and plant and plant products imported to Great Britain from the EU.
30 April 2024 - Documentary checks and physical and identity checks at the border are introduced for medium risk animal products, plant and plant products imported to Great Britain from the EU. The removal of health certification and routine checks on low risk animal products, plants, plant products from the rest of the world as well as reduction in physical and identity check levels on medium-risk Rest of World animal products.
31 October 2024 - Safety and Security declarations for EU imports will come into force. A reduced dataset introduced for imports and use of the UK Single Trade Window will remove duplication where possible across different pre-arrival datasets – such as Safety and Security, and pre-lodged customs declarations.
For goods moving from the island of Ireland, refer to Section 2 of this document

Importers and their supply chains should already be preparing for the first milestone with more time now available to ensure readiness. They should now begin to prepare for the second and third milestones.

We will publish further detail to support businesses and their supply chains to prepare. We will publish this detail through supplementary annexes to the Border Target Operating Model, and further guidance, that will be published on GOV.UK. A timeline for the publication of this further detail is set out in Annex H. We intend to work closely with importers and the border industry and will create a business readiness group that we will use to continue consultation with businesses on the further guidance and support they require to prepare.

10.2 Timeline for implementation of controls on Irish goods arriving direct from Ireland to Great Britain ports

In line with the introduction of border controls on EU imports set out within the Border Target Operating Model, businesses will face new checks and controls when moving Irish goods (i.e any good which is not a Qualifying Northern Ireland goods) from Irish ports (e.g. Dublin Port and Rosslare Europort) directly to Great Britain (e.g Liverpool port and Holyhead port). As well as implementing the new biosecurity and security controls set out in this Border Target Operating Model on Irish goods moving direct from Ireland to Great Britain, we will also bring in full customs controls for these movements, changing the current arrangements that apply when these goods arrive into Great Britain ports receiving traffic from Irish ports.

We want to work with stakeholders to ensure the introduction of these controls is done effectively.

In line with the wider Border Target Operating Model, on 31 January 2024 we will introduce pre-notification for low and medium-risk Irish animal products, and medium-risk plant and plant products moving directly from Ireland into Great Britain ports. Alongside this, full customs controls will be introduced for goods moving directly from Ireland into Great Britain ports. Export Health Certificates and Phytosanitary Certificates will be introduced for Irish medium risk animal products, plant and plant products moving directly from Ireland into Great Britain ports.

Sanitary and Phytosanitary documentary, physical and identity checks for non-qualifying goods moving from the island of Ireland to Great Britain will be introduced from 31 October 2024^{[footnote 6]} at ports on the West Coast of Great Britain. Safety and Security declarations will be introduced for these goods in October 2024 in line with the wider Border Target Operating Model timelines. This ensures that importers, ports and the authorities have time to prepare for these controls to be turned on, to ensure smooth operations from the outset at these crucial entry points.

Summary timeline for implementation of the Border Target Operating Model

Navigating this section

This section sets out three timelines to help the private sector understand and prepare for future changes at the border.

A summary timeline setting out how the new Border Target Operating model will be implemented between 31 January 2024 and October 2024 (other than for goods moving directly from Ireland to Great Britain ports as noted above).
A summary and timeline of the systems changes that occur over the next 2 years in order to deliver the Border Target Operating model.
A summary roadmap that sets out how all of the Government’s changes at the border ahead of 2025 will positively impact the experience of trading for importers and exporters.

10.3 Systems Roadmap and timeline to deliver the Border Target Operating Model

A high level roadmap of the systems changes required to implement the Border Target Operating Model is outlined below.

In addition to the development of technical solutions to support the delivery of the Border Target Operating Model, we will continue with existing systems migration programmes, including migrating users onto Customs Declaration Service (from CHIEF: Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight) and Import of Products, Animal, Food and Feed System (from PEACH) in line with publicised timelines and guidance. The rollout of the New Computerised Transit System (NCTS) Version 5 will continue with traders submitting transit declarations through this platform from November 2023 in line with existing guidance.

We have also ensured the new model aligns with existing systems like Customs Declaration Service (CDS). We established the 999L code in CDS as a temporary arrangement and, with implementation of the Border Target Operating Model, it is appropriate for its use for imports to end. We will replace 999L with specific and targeted relief codes for import declarations that will be communicated in due course ahead of their implementation from January 2024. Code 999L will remain available for export declarations until January 2025.

Development of the Single Trade Window is already underway. The initial feature release will allow traders to submit Safety and Security entry summary declarations and customs import declarations using either a new web application or STW hosted APIs. The existing S&SGB and CDS APIs will still be available for those traders and software developers who do not wish to use STW at this time.

Other changes to government systems to support the implementation of the Border Target Operating Model are described below.

Implementation of Common Health Entry Documents (CHEDs) pre-notifications: CHEDs will replace the Import Notifications (IMPs) currently required for agri-food imports from the EU. The existing Defra system for pre-notification currently used by traders to pre-notify imports of products of animal origin (CHED-P), live animals (CHED-A) and high risk food and feed not of animal origin (CHED-D) from outside of the EU will be made available for EU imports in line with the schedule outlined above.

Importers of plants and plant products currently using the legacy pre-notification system (PEACH) are encouraged to move to the improved IPAFFS solution, however, trade can continue to use PEACH to pre-notify non-EU imports until they migrate.

Driver messaging: From April 2024, hauliers and drivers moving Sanitary and Phytosanitary goods into the country using the Goods Vehicle Movement Services (GVMS) to clear customs will be notified of inspection requirements and location via the existing Inspection Location Service. In cases where Sanitary and Phytosanitary goods being imported under CTC transit are required to attend an inspection a new IPAFFS messaging service will be utilised. The alerts will be delivered by text or email depending on the contact details provided when the CHED pre-notification is submitted.

Entry Summary Declarations (ENS): Technical work to support the reduced data requirement will start in August 2023 and will be enabled on the Safety and Security Import Declarations API from October 2024. Adoption of the reduced data set is optional and carriers with existing technical solutions can continue to use them without making any changes. For carriers and software providers wishing to use the reduced data set, technical specifications will be made available later in 2023 and more detail will be provided on the HMRC developer hub in due course.

All advance Safety and Security data for Great Britain movements will be risked through the existing S&SGB system, as well as Cerberus. This is a risking capability which will allow users to network and analyse diverse cross modal transactional and contextual datasets in real time, recognising Organised Crime Groups operate across modes and commodities and improving targeting effectiveness.

Further information to support the implementation of the Border Target Operating Model will be issued according to the timeline set out in Annex h.

The systems map on the following page identifies the major government systems operating in the border.

10.4 UK Single Trade Window delivery plan and timeline

A Single Trade Window

In the UK Border Strategy, the Government committed to deliver a world leading Single Trade Window (STW) to help UK businesses take advantage of new trading relationships and enhance the UK’s position as a global trading partner.

The UK Single Trade Window will provide a simplified, secure gateway where traders and intermediaries will be able to meet their border obligations by submitting information to Government in one place.

A key principle for the Single Trade Window is the streamlining of data submissions to make life simpler for users by collecting data once, redistributing it to where it is required and reusing it where appropriate. The Single Trade Window will remove duplication where possible, so Government is not asking for the same data for different purposes repeatedly. This unification of border-related data sets will be visible to users from the first release of functionality and will continue to draw in additional datasets as the Single Trade Window delivers over time.

The Single Trade Window will bring together other border services and provide features that benefit users, such as applying for, and managing, licences to trade. By reducing and simplifying duplicated processes and data requirements, the Single Trade Window will ease administrative burdens and transform user experiences at the border.

The UK economy will benefit too as the Single Trade Window will provide real time data and up to date information for better risk management and safety. This will enable more targeted interventions to speed up the process for legitimate trade across the border.

Preparing to deliver the UK Single Trade Window

The Single Trade Window is a cross-Government programme, delivering benefits to all of the UK. The Cabinet Office owns development of the overall customer journey in line with Border Strategy ambitions. HMRC is the lead delivery department, working in partnership with all agencies responsible for border processes and IT systems, including those in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. More than 25 Government departments and agencies have a presence at the border and all are involved in the Single Trade Window’s design and delivery. This collaboration will ensure that users receive a single, unified experience as these agencies will be collectively responsible for the alignment, design and delivery of the legal, policy, operational, technical and service integration activity needed to deliver an effective Single Trade Window.

Preparatory work to deliver the Single Trade Window is well underway. An Invitation to Tender for a Technical Delivery Partner (TDP) was published in November 2022 and closed in January 2023. In May 2023, Deloitte, working with IBM, were appointed to build, deliver and maintain the Single Trade Window. Drawing on their previous experience, Deloitte and IBM have already started to build the necessary IT and technical foundations and will now work across Government, ensuring the service design and delivery of the Single Trade Window is fit for now and the future.

The Single Trade Window will be introduced through a series of strategic releases, each one adding greater functionality and delivering an improved user experience, whilst incorporating feedback from earlier iterations. The Single Trade Window will ultimately become the single entry point for users to submit border data to border agencies.

HMRC is procuring Software as a Service, which uses cloud-based technology. This approach will provide greater long-term flexibility and configurability, minimise technical resource requirements and enable us to respond and adapt according to industry needs.

The Government is learning from other Single Trade Windows around the world and planning how the platform can be future proofed as part of our exploration phases. This international insight, combined with our detailed work with industry on design, will help us to shape a Single Trade Window that is world leading and meets the specific needs and opportunities that the UK border presents.

While it is being developed, the Single Trade Window will sit alongside existing systems and channels for submitting border data. The time and cost saving benefits of interacting with the Single Trade Window will help encourage border users to adopt its use in advance of the Government formally transitioning to it as the sole point of data entry.

Designing the Single Trade Window with border users

To deliver a successful Single Trade Window that meets user needs, the Government recognises it must work with industry to design and test the service. This will ensure that user needs and existing systems and processes are well understood and that the system works well for those interacting with it. Significant consultation, user research and engagement has already been carried out to understand user needs. These will be continually refined and updated as delivery progresses. The Government will work across departments and industry in designing and delivering the Single Trade Window.

Engagement: Extensive stakeholder engagement has taken place with trade representatives, industry experts and border specialists through established forums where Government and border industry are already working together. The Government will continue to regularly engage directly with businesses, such as large traders, hauliers and small businesses, to ensure their diverse needs are understood.

The Single Trade Window Programme has mapped audiences, channels and contacts across Government and continues to gather wide-ranging insight from subject matter experts to feed this into design considerations. Regular engagement enables Government to gain a deep understanding of customers’ experience at the border and how they operate now, which ensures the design of the Single Trade Window is based on customer requirements and will meet future needs. The Government will ensure customers and businesses who trade across the border know how the Single Trade Window will work for them and any actions they need to take ahead of implementation.

Consultation: In addition to extensive stakeholder engagement, the Government published a policy discussion paper, which detailed a number of key policy and design choices for the Single Trade Window and received over 30 written responses. It followed this with detailed engagement with a range of businesses, industry and border intermediaries, including commissioning independent qualitative research via interviews with 57 small businesses involved in importing or exporting goods to or from the UK.

A public consultation on the design and legislation of the Single Trade Window received 51 written responses from a range of key stakeholders, and two further consultation-related events were attended by over 50 participants. Analysis is ongoing and a formal Government response to the consultation will be published in 2023.

User research: User research will inform the design of the Single Trade Window and the functionality that is available with each strategic release. Research with users so far, which focussed on their needs for our early releases, has identified a number of features border users would welcome, including a new free-to-use interface for:

carriers to complete Safety and Security (S&S) declarations and create Goods Movements Reference Numbers (GMR) for multiple consignments
traders to self-complete customs import declarations
Intermediaries completing Safety and Security and customs declarations on behalf of traders

Co-design: Co-design is an approach to designing with, and not for, the people who will use the Single Trade Window. It is core to the success of the Single Trade Window and the Government has already started engaging with users and industry in this way.

Co-design will influence the timing, sequencing and detail of functionality to ensure the service truly benefits users. The Government is aware of the multiple requests for IT transformation placed upon the border industry and will endeavour to align activity wherever possible. Co-design will help develop cross-government, end-to-end customer journeys built around how traders actually operate, including with others in the supply chain. It will consider how to deliver new features and services in the best way; for example, by sector, location, or mode of transport, to maximise system confidence and user take up.

Co-design will be run and validated over time with different users depending on their role in the customer journey and what is required in each strategic release. Industry representative bodies are a key group Government will continue to engage with to ensure user requirements are fed into the design process.

Single Trade Window architecture

User research – and learning from Single Trade Windows worldwide - has already shown that the majority of the trade community want to continue to use third party software to complete their border transactions. The Government will work closely with software developers and the technology sector to design Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) that enable third party software to interact with the central Single Trade Window service.

The Government recognises that some traders will want to submit their information without requiring specialist software, so the Single Trade Window service will also include a User Interface (UI) to allow them to do so. Initially a UI would provide a single route for users to submit customs declarations and will allow traders, intermediaries and carriers to submit Entry Summary Declarations (ENS) for Safety and Security (S&S) and to create Goods Movements Reference Numbers (GMR). This means that users would no longer need specialist software to submit declarations.

Development of these solutions will use best in class ‘as a service’ technologies to build a flexible solution and architecture that will evolve to meet the future needs of users. The Government will provide technical specifications to software developers as early as possible to allow time for development. The Single Trade Window will ultimately provide a secure, scalable, and robust platform to service high volume transactions and deliver critical national services.

Data, the supply chain and collaborative filing

The Single Trade Window is a fundamental enabler for a range of ambitious Government border transformations. These may include supply chain data integration into the UK border model and incorporating findings from the Ecosystem of Trust pilots into our design process. Government recently conducted pilots with industry which featured 6 consortia, each of whom trialled innovative ways to record and submit data available from actors in the supply chain, whilst testing the potential benefits available to all parties.

In its public consultations, the Government sought stakeholder views about how the Single Trade Window could take high quality goods data directly from businesses’ commercial supply chain management systems in an automated way, with the aim of receiving data from as far upstream in the supply chain as possible. This would be data which businesses already have available for day-to-day operations and would place no additional burden. The use of supply chain data is intended to be part of later strategic releases of the Single Trade Window. The development of new functionality will be informed by user research and co-design to identify what types of supply chain data could be provided and how this could support the reduction in administrative burden.

In addition, the Government will consider how the Single Trade Window will further improve user experience at the border by enabling users to better collaborate to meet their obligations. It will explore how multiple actors in the supply chain could input data into the same declaration based on their own knowledge and responsibilities, reducing the burden on one individual to manually collate data from another. For example, enabling a trader to provide their information in an easy way, so an agent can draft the remaining information and submit it on behalf of the trader whilst providing the trader with the visibility to check the status of submissions.

In some instances, different Government declarations require data that is similar in nature. For example, both Customs Import Declarations and Safety and Security Entry Summary Declarations require data on category of goods, weight, type of packaging, and means of transport being used. It is intended that these collaboration features within the Single Trade Window will help to reduce the duplication for users wherever possible, by providing organisations with the option to collaborate on completing declarations and sharing applicable data.

Border users have consistently told us that future facilities for sharing supply chain data need to ensure data would only be shared securely with applicable parties.

The design of the Single Trade Window will take these user needs into account when developing functionality. We are considering how best to enable collaborative filing but anticipate that collaborative filing will allow users from the same organisation to edit declarations, subject to role-based permissions set by the organisation’s administrator. It would not allow users from different organisations (in the supply chain) to unilaterally edit declarations but may allow them to see a subset of information, depending on the circumstances. The exact scope of data to be shared is subject to protecting commercial data from being exposed to users without a clear need. Only relevant data will be shared. Users have said they want to be able to:

see the content and status of data submitted on their behalf on a free to use User Interface, including an audit history;
reuse data from one submission in a subsequent submission;
edit/amend data if they work for the same organisation, with a clear audit history.

Data collection and the use and sharing of data would be implemented with a goal of facilitating efficiencies, for the benefit of traders, industry and Government. Including:

data collection and sharing across Government to reduce duplicative data entry;
data sharing to support Government decisions about which goods to check;
data sharing from departments and agencies with HMRC to support messaging to traders via the UK Single Trade Window;
data sharing with third parties, where this would enable potential features, such as reusing data already held by Government or from other sources to reduce the data requested from businesses;
allowing multiple actors to input data into a single declaration, licence or certificate;
Data sharing and integration with the UK’s Community Systems Providers (CSPs), who remain a key element of the data and systems landscape at the UK border.

Responsibilities for providing correct data (liability)

The commercial relationships to facilitate trade are varied and complex. Different actors in the supply chain have responsibility for submitting data to Government. When the Single Trade Window is introduced, these legal responsibilities will remain but many of the design features will enable organisations to share data between different organisations if desired. Where traders or intermediaries opt to use these capabilities, it will be essential that everyone is clear who is responsible for the data being communicated.

User feedback has been clear that it is important they can control access securely to any data they are providing, and that liability is made clear throughout the process.

The Single Trade Window Programme has identified design features that could help to facilitate this process. These include:

visibility of a clear audit trail for all data submitted and by whom;
sharing of data between organisations (if desired);
the ability to assign access to data on a per declaration basis;
controls to prevent editing declaration data provided by other organisations with whom an organisation is sharing data;
clear guidance explaining the legal responsibilities at every step of the process;
Commercial parties will still be able to form their own relationships outside of the Single Trade Window.

Commercial parties will still be able to form their own relationships outside of the Single Trade Window.

Delivering the Single Trade Window

The Single Trade Window will be introduced through a series of strategic releases, each one adding greater functionality and delivering an improved user experience. Build activity has already started, although the pace and scope of development will be dependent on delivering suitable legislation to enable sharing of data across HMG. Subject to these dependencies, the Single Trade Window could be fully operational in 2027. We will provide a more detailed update for stakeholders on plans for implementing Single Trade Window in the Autumn.

The scope and functionality of each Single Trade Window strategic release is subject to ongoing review. The delivery timeline is being informed by user insight, extensive engagement activity, legislative requirements and existing system readiness implementation timelines across Government. The programme will test each strategic release in a controlled environment with users to gather feedback and improve the functionality by adding features and making refinements before starting to make it publicly available. The Government will ensure industry is engaged and able to contribute to developing plans as delivery partners.

In addition to the detailed validation between Government and the Single Trade Window’s Technical Delivery Partner, the timeline will respond to user feedback and delivery progress and align with wider Government-led border changes such as the continued development of the Customs Declaration Service.

The functionality that will be introduced and the timing of each strategic release will be informed through Government’s engagement with industry and individual years may see multiple strategic releases delivered within them.

Building STW foundations

The initial focus will be on building the foundations of the Single Trade Window that will enable future strategic releases and scaling of services via our iterative approach. In addition to introducing this foundational technical capability, whilst available to all, the functionality available in the first public release may particularly benefit small, infrequent and new traders, intermediaries and carriers who complete customs import and Safety & Security (S&S) declarations.

It is envisaged that the first strategic release will aim to offer functionality to enable:

users to make Entry Summary Declarations (ENS) for Safety and Security (S&S) and customs import declarations through User Interfaces (UI) to enable the collection and reuse of presubmitted data on behalf of traders to reduce their admin burdens
multiple users from the same organisation to input information for one trade submission meaning the right person will provide their information once, which will in subsequent releases then be able to be reused in declarations related to the same movement (like reusing information from a pre-lodged import declaration in a Safety and Security declaration)
the cloning / editing of previous submissions to expedite drafting
users to check the status of their goods as they move across the border
use of the guidance service
access to the trade dashboard for a summary of drafted declarations, status of submitted declarations, any actions and optional notifications related to their, or their supply chains’ activity.
users to take advantage of Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS) integration
collaboration to share information to facilitate a single goods movement
RoW Safety and Security (S&S) declarations to be made via Application Programming Interfaces (API) (once their software is updated to reflect the new Single Trade Window)
reusing trader identification data and declaration data where already held by the Government or within the user’s Single Trade Window account.

Users will be able to access step by step guides, short videos, and a range of other material tailored to their experience level and situation to help support them through their submissions and check the status of their goods crossing the border. Embedded guidance will help direct users to engage with intermediaries where appropriate to support them in managing their border obligations.

Once early functionality is released, traders will be able to start using the Single Trade Window to complete some import and Safety and Security declarations. The Government recognises some traders might only move to the new system when it provides all of the functionality they need, and when convenient, which means usage is expected to grow over time. Customers will still be able to meet their customs obligations using existing processes and systems whilst the Single Trade Window is being developed.

Expanding core STW functionality

Once these foundational capabilities are delivered the Single Trade Window will expand to offer increased functionality that will include exports, excise and transit movements as well as trusted trader visibility.

A key Single Trade Window principle is to allow users to submit data once and in one place. The Single Trade Window will receive and redistribute this data to where it is required, meaning multiple users will be able to input information for a trade submission, which will then be reused in subsequent declarations related to the same movement.

The additional functionality developed will aim to include the:

reduced data set for Safety and Security (S&S) import declarations and Exit Summary Declarations (EXS) for both non-EU and EU goods;
ability for traders to submit export customs declarations, import and export excise declarations, and import and export transit declarations;
ability to submit transit declarations;
apply and verify valid licences;apply for Permits and Authorisations and for Government to respond to applications and manage Authorisations throughout their lifecycle.

Completing the Single Trade Window Vision

Further releases will incorporate feedback from earlier iterations of the Single Trade Window and will aim to introduce new functionality covering Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures, enabling international interoperability, data analytics and use of supply chain data. These features will bring the Single Trade Window closer to the single gateway experience for border users, and further expand the use of unified data, provided once, to address multiple submissions

Specific functionality the Single Trade Window will aim to include:

Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) exports:
Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) imports of live animals which can be completed using a User Interface and/or via Application Programming Interface (API);
The ability to track consignment movements depending on supply chain data availability;
Remaining non-Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) declarations such as CITES, Organics, marketing standards and unregulated fishing;
Data provisions from commercial supply chain systems.

Further strategic releases will be informed by co-design, user research and progress of earlier releases, whilst the delivery timeline will be kept under review.

Question 10

11. Section 5: Improving the border for exporters

Accepted Answer

11.1 Supporting exporters by improving our import model

The Border Target Operating Model aims to improve the efficiency of goods movement and trade flow across the UK border, benefiting both importers and exporters. This comprehensive strategy will achieve its objectives through multiple approaches:

Introduction of Sanitary and Phytosanitary controls will assure our trade partners about the quality of the UK’s exports, by putting in place robust biosecurity and food quality standards. This will support around £20bn of food and drink exports from the UK each year.
The technology that will deliver the new import model will also support exporters. Specifically the UK Single Trade Window will create a single digital front-door for exporters in the same way it will for importers, making it faster and easier to complete border requirements for exports.
The new model uses technology and policy in a way in which few countries do. By showing that more data-driven approaches to risk can be used to secure our border the UK will be able to demonstrate to trade partners how their own import processes can be improved. Over time, and by influencing through multilateral fora, we therefore hope that UK exporters will benefit from similar simplifications implemented by our trade partners.

We are committed to working with our trading partners to support British exporters and following publication of this draft Border Target Operating Model, the UK Government will discuss and test the proposals set out with our key trading partners.

11.2 Building on our existing support for exporters

The UK’s departure from the EU changed the way British traders export to the EU. The UK Government recognised the need to implement strategic support for exporters and published a refreshed Export Strategy: Made in the UK, Sold to the World, in November 2021, further evolving the support for exporters and building on the UK’s independent trade policy to deliver jobs, higher wages and increased productivity to every part of the UK.

The Export Strategy is a 12-point action-led plan. It provides a framework, centred on businesses, for those wishing to begin their exporting journey or expand and enter new markets. It aims to address the barriers to trade that exist, which includes the costs of exporting, lack of knowledge, constraints in capacity, and lack of access to contacts or networks.

Our ‘Race to a £Trillion’ of exports annually by 2030 represents a whole-economy and whole-of-Government ambition and requires the private and public sectors to work in partnership helping businesses of all sizes, sectors and across all parts of the UK to realise the benefits of international trade.

Access to large global markets means firms are more likely to invest and innovate – driving growth across the UK. Through our independent trade policy we have secured trade deals with 71 countries and the EU, worth over £800 billion in trade in 2021. We’ve recently achieved accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), an agreement with countries across the globe, and with a combined Gross Domestic Product of £9 trillion in 2022. Our Free TRade Agreement (FTA) with Australia has now come into force, New Zealand to follow, and significant negotiations continue with India. We are helping UK business to grasp the benefits and opportunities opened up by the deals we have done.

This is coupled with tackling market access barriers, ensuring British businesses can access new trading opportunities across the world. The UK Government has resolved around 400 market access barriers, across more than 70 countries, in the last two years. Our global network is unlocking export opportunities worth more than £20 billion by resolving a ‘hit list’ of around 100 priority trade barriers around the world.

Through the Export Strategy, the UK Government’s export support services are being transformed, using data and digital approaches to create a fully integrated export support system, centred around the Export Support Service. An expanded digital offer provides the information to help businesses sell in any given country. Whether there is a Free Trade Agreement, or a business wants to understand the specific rules to export goods, our improved market guides on Great.gov.uk, and the Check How to Import and Export Goods tool will provide the appropriate information to them.

The Learn to Export self-serve platform supports businesses to develop their exporting capability by helping them learn how to sell abroad, find the best country for their product and develop personalised international export plans. For more extensive support, the UK Export Academy is aimed at businesses looking to build their capability to export and understand the gaps in their knowledge. Through the foundation, masterclass and opportunities courses, businesses are given the right knowledge to be able to strategically plan their exporting activity.

UK Export Finance (UKEF), the UK’s export credit agency, plays a pivotal role in fostering prosperity by guaranteeing that no viable UK export fails for lack of finance or insurance. It accomplishes this mission sustainably and at no net cost to the taxpayer. By unlocking essential financial resources, UKEF empowers enterprises to secure export contracts, fulfil orders and get paid for their exported goods.

No matter the size of the business, how much is exported or where in the UK the business is based, the Export Support Service is the first point of contact for all UK businesses to get answers to questions about exporting their products or services on issues such as paperwork required, specific rules for particular countries or information on potential new markets. The service can also help businesses navigate all the export services offered by the Department for Business and Trade and services offered by other government departments, helping companies find further support about trading with other countries.

The UK Export Academy is aimed at businesses looking to build their capability to export and understand the gaps in their knowledge. Through the foundation, masterclass and opportunities courses, businesses are given the right knowledge to be able to strategically plan their exporting activity.

For small or medium-sized businesses with the greatest potential to export, we offer tailored support through our dedicated International Trade Advisors and International Markets Advisors. The International Trade Advisors Service, currently available in England, are experts in delivering one-to-one exporting advice, brokering business-to-business- partnerships and helping UK business deliver exports to overseas markets. The Export Support Service International Markets teams are based overseas, supporting businesses with in-market expertise. They provide guidance and market intelligence to help a business enter a new market, introducing them to potential buyers and connecting them with a vetted network of in-market commercial providers. DBT has established new Nation Teams in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast to help bring DBT’s support closer to businesses in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. We work closely with the Devolved Governments, business organisations, businesses and other key partners to improve the availability of support to businesses ensuring that DBT support is available to all companies in the UK.

11.3 Improving Border processes for exporters

We are making some specific improvements to border processes for exporters alongside introduction of the Border Target Operating Model.

Creating a single gateway for all export processes

When fully operational, the UK Single Trade Window will enable all information required to import and export goods to be submitted to border agencies through one system. By the end of 2024, subject to technical discovery and legislation changes, exporters should be able to make export declarations through the UK Single Trade Window alongside management of the authorisations and licences needed to export some goods.

Further functionality to support exporters will be released in phases as outlined in Section 4 of this document.

Removing Safety and Security requirements for low risk export movements

In July 2022, we introduced a number of easements (GB) to reduce burdens on hauliers and carriers. These included:

Removing Safety and Security requirements for empty units being exported under a transport contract;
Removing Safety and Security export or import declarations for merchandise in baggage (i.e. commercial goods with a value above £1,500 carried by their owners in vans);
Removing Safety and Security declaration requirements for outbound goods when they have been transhipped and are leaving via a different port. This applies as long as the goods are put into transit within 14 days of arrival and are moved under a single transport contract, with the import Safety and Security declaration still available and accurate.

As set out in Section 1 of this document we are removing the requirement for Safety and Security declarations from some further types of outbound movement: outbound fish, outbound transit movements and certain outbound freeport movements leaving Great Britain.

Remote export health certification for Sanitary and Phytosanitary goods

Feedback from certifiers has highlighted a lack of certainty regarding when it is permissible to certify goods remotely in line with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons’ principles of certification. This lack of clarity can cause unnecessary delays for exporters. We have worked with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons to enable Official Veterinarians to address these concerns. Existing, UK-wide guidance clarifies when Official Veterinarians, in limited or exceptional circumstances, can issue health certification for some goods without having to attend the site.

The remote issuing of health certificates is limited to consignments listed on Defra’s Remote Certification Guidance. Use of remote certification is possible for a limited set of goods (including shelf-stable products such as milk powder) where the certifier is familiar with the production establishment and processes, has access to up to date records and the product is identified in a way that means substitution is not possible. Full guidance outlining the conditions that permit a consignment to make use of remote certification is available here.

Question 11

12. Section 6: Changes to the passenger model

Accepted Answer

We have had feedback from stakeholders that is helpful to set out plans for changes to the movement of goods across the border alongside plans for changes to the movement of passengers. This section sets out changes to the passenger model for immigration checks which are separate from customs declarations and checks.

The 2025 UK Border Strategy set out our commitment to build the most effective border in the world and we have reaffirmed our commitment to improving the experience for passengers.^{[footnote 7]} We will make crossing the border quicker and drive better security, immigration, and prosperity outcomes for the UK, whilst also improving the cost effectiveness of Border operations. We will achieve these benefits through better use of data, more advanced risking and detection capabilities, and increased use of enhanced automated solutions at the border.

When integrated into the overall border operating model this will enable us to more effectively manage the flow of people and goods. We recognise there is no ‘one size fits all’ model, and we will work in partnership with industry to develop solutions that work for air, maritime and rail travel.

Development of these solutions will be underpinned by three core principles:

a. Universal Permission to travel requirement

Everyone who wishes to come to the UK will need permission to do so before they travel.
This permission will be in the form an eVisa, for those required to obtain a visa for the purpose of visits, transit or longer stays in the UK for work, study or other residence, and an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) for those who wish to visit or transit the UK but are not currently required to obtain a visa or who do not have an immigration status.
British and Irish citizens will not need to obtain a permission but will demonstrate their entitlement to travel to the UK by showing their passport, if travelling from outside the Common Travel Area.
For those coming or returning to the UK, having been granted leave to enter or remain, their permission to travel to the UK will be their immigration status as evidenced by an entry clearance, biometric residence document, other physical document or, increasingly, a digital status.
Carriers will be required to check that all passengers have a valid permission to travel before they travel to the UK, and we are providing a range of different interactive systems to help carriers carry out these checks

b. Increased use of Automation:

For most passengers, automation (currently provided by e-gates) will be their only point of contact at the border, resulting in less queuing and more resilience to multi-arrivals.
Solutions will be developed in partnership with industry for cohorts of passengers or locations where automation is not possible within current means.
A More Intelligent Border:
Passengers of specific interest, based on an understanding of everything we know about them, will be referred for examination to a Border Force Officer (BFO).
Improved risking capabilities will identify previous unknowns to protect the UK against terrorist attacks, serious cross-border crime, and abuses of the immigration system.
Integration of Government and carrier Information Technology systems will enable the provision of better advanced data.
Together these measures will allow Border Force officers to focus effort on the most value adding activities and enable us to embed a customer-centric culture in our work.

12.1 The Passenger Process

The Figure 6 outlines the process passengers will follow, navigating a simpler system with clearer rules and completing shorter more intuitive application forms. They will be able to access world leading customer support as they plan to come to the UK.

12.2 Industry engagement

The UK Government acknowledges that for this model to be a success it must work closely with industry to ensure effective implementation. The Home Office is taking a structured approach to engaging industry on Borders Transformation, which began with a roundtable between the CEOs of leading industry partners and the Home Office in November 2022.

Throughout 2023, the Home Office will continue with a structured round of engagement to improve collaboration – from keeping partners better informed of areas of development within Government that will impact port operations, to areas where we may wish to partner on the co-design of specific solutions in pursuit of shared goals.

This work will ensure that change activity is developed against a clear end-state, developing the best possible solutions, ensuring readiness within Government and industry with realistic lead in times for delivery, and recognising the nuances and unique requirements of different ports and operators.

Figure 6: The Passenger Process

Question 12

13. Annexes

Accepted Answer

13.1 Annex A: New ENS (Safety and Security import declaration) dataset

Mandatory fields (20 fields)

Local reference number
Consignor
Person lodging the summary declaration
Consignee
Country(ies) of routing codes
Mode of transport at the border
Identity of means of transport crossing border
First place of arrival code
Date and time of arrival at first place of arrival in the Customs territory
Place of loading
Place of unloading code
Goods description
Types of packages
Number of packages
Goods item number
Gross Mass (kg)
Seal number
Transport document number
Transport Charges Method of payment code
Declaration date and time

Conditional Fields (mandatory only if certain conditions are met)

Number	Field	Condition(s)
21.	Unique Consignment Reference Number	This field must be provided by Fast Parcel Operators. It is optional for other modes of transport.
22.	Carrier	This field must be completed if the carrier is different from the person lodging the ENS.
23.	Notify party	This field must be provided where this information is available.
24.	Conveyance reference number	This field is not applicable for RoRo, where the intended ferry company name should be included (if known).
25.	Number of pieces	This field must be provided if pieces are unpackaged.
26.	Container number	This field must be provided where containers are being moved. In particular this must be provided for Maritime Containers and Unaccompanied RoRo (where it should be Trailer Number).
27.	Shipping marks and numbers of packages	This field must be completed for all packaged goods, and should include information and descriptions that will enable the identification of individual packages.
28.	UN Dangerous Goods Code	This field must be provided where relevant.

Optional Fields

29. Commodity code

30. Total number of packages

31. Number of items

32. Other specific circumstances indicator

33. Special mentions

34. Signature and authentication

35. Declaration place

36. Nationality of active means of transport crossing the border

37. Office of subsequent entry

13.2 Annex B: Safety and Security User Journeys

The following illustrative user journeys show examples of processes that can be followed to meet the Safety and Security requirements set out in the Border Target Operating Model. This includes the different customs models and modes of transport that are likely to be used when moving goods into the UK. This doesn’t include separate requirements from exporting countries, which can vary between customs regimes.

The legal requirement to submit an entry summary declaration lies with the operator of the active means of transport. For example, the vessel, aircraft, train or road vehicle on or in which the goods are brought into the customs territory. We will refer to this party as the carrier. For RoRo we may also refer to this party as the haulage company for ‘accompanied’ goods and the ferry operator for ‘unaccompanied’ goods.

Safety and Security declarations are currently submitted into a dedicated system, S&SGB, through the use of specialist software. In the future, the Single Trade Window will provide an interface to enable the inputting of information into S&SGB, allowing users to provide information once and in one place. HMRC is validating delivery plans for the Single Trade Window with the Technical Delivery Partner who was appointed in May 2023 to deliver the UK Single Trade Window, therefore some of these steps are indicative and may be subject to change. The UK Single Trade Window will undertake co-design with actors in industry, including the Community Systems Providers. This will empower them to take an active part in the design and creation of the products and services that will be delivered as part of the Single Trade Window, for them and for traders and agents.

Traders are also likely to hire an intermediary to deal with border requirements and transport the goods. These variables have been reflected in the user journeys set out below. For step-by-step guidance, including preparations required for importing goods into the UK, please refer to GOV.UK.

Eurotunnel - Pre-Lodgement Model (UK STW - October 2024)- Accompanied RoRo - Simplified Declaration
Short-Sea - Pre-Lodgement Model (UK STW - October 2024)- Accompanied RoRo - Full Customs Declaration
Short-Sea - Pre-Lodgement Model (UK STW - October 2024)- Unaccompanied RoRo - Full Customs Declaration
Short-Sea / Rail Freight - Temporary Storage Model (Non-STW - 2024) - Unaccompanied - Full Customs Declaration
Non Short-Sea - Temporary Storage Model (Non-STW - 2024) - Unaccompanied - Full Customs Declaration
Air Freight - Temporary Storage Model (Non-STW - 2024) - Unaccompanied - Full Customs Declaration
Eurotunnel - Pre-Lodgement Model - Common Transit Convention (NCTS5 - 2024)- Accompanied RoRo - Full Customs Declaration
Landbridge Movement - Common Transit Convention (NCTS5 - 2024) - Accompanied RoRo
Eurotunnel - Pre-Lodgement Model - Common Transit Convention (NCTS5 - 2024)- Accompanied RoRo - Medium Risk Animal Products
Landbridge Movement - Common Transit Convention (NCTS6 - 2025)- Accompanied RoRo - Medium Risk Animal Products

1 Eurotunnel - Pre-Lodgement Model (UK STW - October 2024) Standard Goods - Accompanied RoRo - Simplified Declaration

Example of the steps required for goods arriving in the UK via accompanied Roll-on Roll-off (RoRo) transport. In this scenario the haulage company as the operator of the active means of transport will submit the Safety & Security Declaration. The trader will submit the Import Customs Declarations, using simplified declaration procedures. Declarations will be submitted to HMG via the UK Single Trade Window (STW).

New processes

Pre-arrival
Pre-departure
Contract of Carriage	Step 1: Haulage Company Confirms that the goods and commercial details from the trader have been received. Eurotunnel has a similar agreement with the haulage company relating to the carriage and ticket.
Contract of Carriage	UK STW - User Interface Users to make Entry Summary Declarations (ENS) for Safety and Security (S&S) and customs import declarations through User Interfaces (UI) to enable the collection and reuse of pre-submitted data on behalf of traders to reduce their admin burdens. (NEW)
Import Customs Declaration	Step 2: Trader Trader enters the UK STW and New submits the data fields required for a Simplified Frontier Declaration, receiving a Movement Reference Number (MRN).
Import Customs Declaration	UK STW - Public APIs RoW Safety and Security (S&S) declarations with reduced data set to be made via Application Programming Interfaces (API) once their software is updated to reflect the new Single Trade Window. (NEW)
Goods Vehicle Movement Service	Step 3: Haulage Company Haulage Company enters GVMS and creates a Goods Movement Reference (GMR), submitting the movement details (vehicle/crossing) and customs MRN before arriving at Coquelles.
Goods Vehicle Movement Service	UK STW - Unified Data Will aim to expand the principle of using unified data across submissions; in doing so, further reducing customer duplication and effort. (NEW)
Entry Summary Declaration (ENS)	Step 4: Haulage Company From November 2024 for EU-GB movements. Enters the UK STW and submits the mandatory and conditional fields.
Entry Summary Declaration (ENS)	UK STW - Licences Users can begin to apply and verify valid licences. Users can begin to apply for Permits and Authorisations and for Government to respond to applications and manage Authorisations throughout their lifecycle. (NEW)
Departure and Crossing	Step 5: Driver Driver arrives at check-in with thegoods and Border Pass, which is scanned before boarding and juxtaposed controls where Border Force may carry out inspections. Before arrival, GVMS will notify if any customs inspections are required at an inland facility.
ENS Liability The Haulage Company is liable for submitting the declaration and ensuring it is accurate to the best of their knowledge, where transporting an accompanied trailer or container. If responsibility is passed to a third party, the legal liability to make sure that a timely entry summary declaration is submitted remains with the carrier, but the declarant will be liable for ensuring the declaration is complete and accurate.
Arrival
Goods released	Step 6: Trader Trader After the goods are delivered complete a supplementary declaration via UK STW by the 4th working day of the month following import. Payment of duties and VAT are taken from the Duty Deferment Account on the 15th (or next working day) of the next month.

2 Short-Sea - Pre-Lodgement Model (UK STW - October 2024) Standard Goods - Accompanied RoRo - Full Customs Declaration

Example of the steps required for goods arriving in the UK using accompanied Roll-on Roll-off (RoRo) transport. In this scenario the intermediary is acting on behalf of the trader to deal with border requirements and transport the goods. This includes being the operator of the active means of transport and submitting Safety & Security Declarations. Declarations will be submitted to HMG via the UK Single Trade Window (STW).

New processes

Pre-arrival
Pre-departure
Contract of Carriage	Step 1: Freight Forwarder Freight Forwarder confirms that the goods & commercial details from the trader have been received. The ferry service has a similar agreement with the freight forwarder relating to the carriage and ticket.
Contract of Carriage	UK STW - User Interface Users to make Entry Summary Declarations (ENS) for Safety and Security (S&S) and customs import declarations through User Interfaces (UI) to enable the collection and reuse of pre-submitted data on behalf of traders to reduce their admin burdens. (NEW)
Import Customs Declaration	Step 2: Freight Forwarder Freight Forwarder enters the UK STW and submits the data fields required for a Full Customs Declaration, receiving a Movement Reference Number (MRN).
Import Customs Declaration	UKSTW - Public APIs RoW Safety and Security (S&S) declarations with reduced data set to be made via Application Programming Interfaces (API) once their software is updated to reflect the new Single Trade Window. (NEW)
Goods Vehicle Movement Service	Step 3: Freight Forwarder Freight Forwarder enters and creates a Goods Movement Reference (GMR), submitting the movement details (vehicle/crossing) and customs MRN before departure.
Goods Vehicle Movement Service	UK STW - Unified Data Will aim to expand the principle of using unified data across submissions: in doing so, further reducing customer duplication and effort. (NEW)
Entry Summary Declaration (ENS)	Step 4: Freight Forwarder Freight Forwarder From November 2024 for EU-GB movements. Enters the UK STW and submits the mandatory and conditional fields, receiving an Movement Reference Number (MRN).
Entry Summary Declaration (ENS)	UK STW - Licences Users can begin to apply and verify valid licences. Users can begin to apply for Permits and Authorisations and for Government to respond to applications and manage Authorisations throughout their lifecycle. (NEW)
Departure and Crossing	Step 5: Driver Driver arrives at check-in with the goods the GMR is scanned before boarding. Before arrival, GVMS will notify if any customs inspections are required at an inland facility or port. Border Force may also carry out inspections on arrival.
ENS Timing Requirement RoRo accompanied goods must be lodged at least 2 hours before the goods are due to arrive in Great Britain. Declarations can also be amended up until the point of arrival. Note this can take place at any point between step 1 and 4. ENS Liability The Haulage Company is liable for submitting the declaration and ensuring it is accurate to the best of their knowledge, where transporting an accompanied trailer or container. If responsibility is passed to a third party, the legal liability to make sure that a timely entry summary declaration is submitted remains with the carrier, but the declarant will be liable for ensuring the declaration is complete and accurate.
Arrival
Goods released	Step 6: Trader Pay any duties and VAT via UK STW. If VAT registered, use postponed VAT accounting.

3 Short-Sea- Pre-Lodgement Model (UK STW - October 2024) Standard Goods – Unaccompanied RoRo - Full Customs Declaration

Example of the steps required for goods arriving in the UK via unaccompanied Roll-on Roll-off (RoRo) transport. In this scenario the ferry company as the operator of the active means of transport will pass on the responsibility to submit the Safety & Security Declaration to the Freight Forwarder who will also submit Import Customs Declarations using simplified declaration procedures. Declarations via the UK Single Trade Window (STW).

New processes

Pre-arrival
Pre-departure
Contract of Carriage	Step 1: Freight Forwarder Freight Forwarder confirms that the goods & commercial details from the trader have been received.
Contract of Carriage	UK STW - User Interface Users to make Entry Summary Declarations (ENS) for Safety and Security (S&S) and customs import declarations through User Interfaces (UI) to enable the collection and reuse of pre-submitted data on behalf of traders to reduce their admin burdens. (NEW)
Import Customs Declaration	Step 2: Freight Forwarder Freight Forwarder enters the UK STW and submits the data fields required for a Full Customs Declaration, receiving a Movement Reference Number (MRN).
Import Customs Declaration	UKSTW - Public APIs RoW Safety and Security (S&S) declarations with reduced data set to be made via Application Programming Interfaces (API) once their software is updated to reflect the new Single Trade Window. (NEW)
Goods Vehicle Movement Service	Step 3: Freight Forwarder Freight Forwarder enters and creates a Goods Movement Reference (GMR), submitting the movement details (trailer/container/crossing) and customs MRN before departure.
Goods Vehicle Movement Service	UK STW - Unified Data Will aim to expand the principle of using unified data across submissions; in doing so, further reducing customer duplication and effort. (NEW)
Entry Summary Declaration (ENS)	Step 4: Freight Forwarder Freight Forwarder From November 2024 for EU-GB movements. Enters the UK STW and submits the mandatory and conditional fields, receiving an Movement Reference Number (MRN).
Entry Summary Declaration (ENS)	UK STW - Licences Users can begin to apply and verify valid licences. Users can begin to apply for Permits and Authorisations and for Government to respond to applications and manage Authorisations throughout their lifecycle. (NEW)
Departure and Crossing	Step 5: Driver Driver arrives at check-in with the goods the GMR is scanned before unloading the trailer/con- tainer. Before arrival, GVMS will notify if any customs inspections are required at an inland facility or port. Border Force may also carry out inspections after unloading.
ENS Timing Requirement RoRo unaccompanied goods must be lodged at least 2 hours before the goods are due to arrive in Great Britain. Declarations can also be amended up until the point of arrival. Note this can take place at any point between step 1 and 5. ENS Liability The ferry operator is liable for submitting the declaration and ensuring it is accurate to the best of their knowledge, where transporting an unaccompanied trailer or container. If responsibility is passed to a third party, the legal liability to make sure that a timely entry summary declaration is submitted remains with the carrier, but the declarant will be liable for ensuring the declaration is complete and accurate.
Arrival
Goods released	Step 6: Freight Forwarder Freight Forwarder Pay any duties and VAT via UK STW. If VAT registered, use postponed VAT accounting. Driver arrives at check-in loads the trailer/container with the goods before delivery.

4 Short-Sea /Rail Freight - Temporary Storage Model (Non-STW - 2024) Standard Goods - Unaccompanied - Full Customs Declaration

Example of the steps required for goods arriving in the UK via containerised short sea and rail freight at inventory linked locations. In this scenario the carrier as the operator of the active means of transport will submit the Safety & Security Declaration and the trader Import Customs Declarations. Both will be using a Community System Provider (CSP) or third party software to manage the movement and communicate with HMG systems.

New processes

Arrival
Pre-departure
Contract of Carriage	Step 1: Carrier Carrier confirms that the goods and commercial details from the trader have been received.
Entry Summary Declaration (ENS)	Step 2: Carrier Carrier required from November 2024 for EU-GB movements. Enters third party software or CSP and submits the mandatory and conditional fields, receiving an Movement Reference Number (MRN).
ENS Liability For maritime the shipping company is liable for submitting the declaration ensuring it is accurate to the best of their knowledge. For rail, this means the Channel Tunnel rail freight operator. If responsibility is passed to a third party, the legal liability to make sure that a timely entry summary declaration is submitted remains with the carrier, but the declarant will be liable for ensuring the declaration is complete and accurate. ENS Timing Requirement Short sea journeys, including containerised cargo, is at least 2 hours before before the goods are due to arrive in Great Britain. Rail Freight is at least 2 hours before arrival at the UK customs Office of Entry (Dollands Moor for rail) or at least 1 hour if the journey is less than 2 hours. Declarations can also be amended up until the point of arrival.
Arrival of Goods	Step 3: Carrier Carrier sends the manifest with container details via the seaport/rail terminal inventory system and on arrival the container/goods are given a Unique Consignment Number (UCN) to be claimed by the trader.
Import Customs Declaration	Step 4: Trader Within 90 days, completes Full Import Declaration and submits via CSP or third party software to CDS. The user receives and includes the MRN to the CSP.
Customs Clearance	5. Inventory-Linked Location For movements via inventory linked ports / rail terminals, the CSP receives notification if any customs or security inspections are required.
Goods released	Step 6: Trader Transport Trader Transport is arranged to collect the goods. Via CSP or third party software pay any duties and VAT. If VAT registered, use postponed VAT accounting.

5 Non Short-Sea Maritime - Temporary Storage Model (Non UK STW - 2024)

Example of the steps required for goods arriving in the UK via non short-sea containerised at inventory linked locations. In this scenario the carrier as the operator of the active means of transport will submit the Safety & Security Declaration and the trader Import Customs Declarations. Both will be using a Community System Provider (CSP) or 3rd party software to manage the movement and communicate with HMG systems.

New processes

Arrival
Pre-departure
Contract of Carriage	Step 1: Carrier Carrier Confirms that the goods and commercial details from the trader have been received, through the bill of lading.
Entry Summary Declaration (ENS)	Step 2: Carrier Carrier enters the CSP or 3rd party software connected to S&S GB and submits the required fields for reduced ENS dataset, receiving an Movement Reference Number (MRN) and acceptance message.
ENS Liability For maritime the shipping company is liable for submitting the declaration ensuring it is accurate to the best of their knowledge. If responsibility is passed to a third party, the legal liability to make sure that a timely entry summary declaration is submitted remains with the carrier, but the declarant will be liable for ensuring the declaration is complete and accurate. ENS Timing Requirement For Containerised Cargo 24 hours before loading at port of departure Declarations can also be amended up until the point of arrival.
Arrival of Goods	Step 3: Carrier Carrier sends the manifest with container details via the sea/air port inventory system and on arrival the container/goods are given a Unique Consignment Number (UCN) to be claimed by the trader.
Import Customs Declaration	Step 4: Trader Trader Within 90 days, completes Full Import Declaration and submits via CSP or third party software to CDS. User receives and includes the MRN to the CSP.
Customs Clearance	5. Inventory-Linked Location For movements via inventory linked sea/air ports, the CSP or third party software receives notification if any customs or security inspections are required.
Goods released	Step 6: Trader Transport Trader Transport is arranged to collect the goods. Via CSP or third party software pay any duties and VAT. If VAT registered, use postponed VAT accounting.

6 Air Freight - Temporary Storage Model (Non-STW - 2024) Standard Goods - Unaccompanied - Full Customs Declaration

Example of the steps required for goods arriving in the UK via air freight at inventory linked locations. In this scenario the carrier as the operator of the active means of transport will submit the Safety & Security Declaration and the trader Import Customs Declarations. Both will be using a Community System Provider (CSP) or 3rd party software to manage the movement and communicate with HMG systems.

New processes

Arrival
Pre-departure
Contract of Carriage	Step 1: Carrier Carrier confirms that the goods and commercial details from the trader have been received, either through the air waybil.
Entry Summary Declaration (ENS)	Step 2: Carrier Carrier Required from November 2024 for EU-GB movements. Enters third party software or CSP and submits the mandatory and conditional fields, receiving an Movement Reference Number (MRN).
ENS Timing Requirement Short-haul flight at time of “Wheels Up” of aircraft. Long-haul 4 hours prior to arrival at the first airport in the country of destination. Declarations can also be amended up until the point of arrival.
Arrival of Goods	Step 3: Carrier Carrier sends the manifest with container details via the sea/air port inventory system and on arrival the container/goods are given a Unique Consignment Number (UCN) to be claimed by the trader.
Import Customs Declaration	Step 4: Trader Trader within 90 days, completes Full Import Declaration and submits via CSP or 3rd party software to CDS. The user receives and includes the MRN to the CSP.
Customs Clearance	5. Inventory-Linked Location For movements via inventory linked air ports, the CSP or third party software receives notification if any customs or security inspections are required.
Goods released	Step 6: Trader Transport Trader Transport is arranged to collect the goods. Via CSP or third party software pay any duties and VAT. If VAT registered, use postponed VAT accounting.

7 Eurotunnel - Pre-Lodgement Model - Common Transit Convention (NCTS5 - 2024) Standard Goods - Accompanied RoRo - Full Customs Declaration

Example of the steps required for goods arriving in the UK via accompanied Roll-on Roll-off (RoRo) transport. In this scenario the haulage company as the operator of the active means of transport will submit the Safety & Security Declaration and the trader Import Customs Declarations, using simplified declaration procedures. Declarations will be submitted to HMG via the UK Single Trade Window (STW).

New processes

Pre-arrival
Pre-departure
Contract of Carriage	Step 1: Haulage Company Haulage Company confirms that the goods and commercial details from the trader have been received. Eurotunnel has a similar agreement with the Freight Forwarder relating to the carriage and ticket.
Contract of Carriage	UK STW - User Interface Users to make Entry Summary Declarations (ENS) for Safety and Security S&S) and customs import declarations through User Interfaces (UI) to enable the collection and reuse of pre-submitted data on behalf of traders to reduce their admin burdens. (NEW)
EU > GB Transit Movement	Step 2: Driver Driver collects the NCTS electronic Movement Reference Number (MRN) from either the Office of Departure or Authorised Consignor.
EU > GB Transit Movement	UKSTW - Public APIs RoW Safety and Security (S&S) declarations with reduced data set to be made via Application Programming Interfaces (API) (once their software is updated to reflect the new Single Trade Window. (NEW)
Entry Summary Declaration (ENS)	Step 3: Freight Forwarder Freight Forwarder Required from November 2024 for EU-GB movements. Enter the STW or CSP and submit the mandatory and conditional fields, receiving an Movement Reference Number (MRN). (NEW)
Entry Summary Declaration (ENS)	UK STW - Unified Data Will aim to expand the principle of using unified data across submissions; in doing so, further reducing customer duplication and effort. (NEW)
Goods Vehicle Movement Service	Step 4: Haulage Company Haulage Company For GB imports via ports using VMS for transit, creates a Goods Movement Reference (GMR), submitting the movement details (vehicle/crossing) and enters the Transit MRN once available.
Goods Vehicle Movement Service	UK STW - Licences Users can begin to apply and verify valid licences. Users can begin to apply for Permits and Authorisations and for Government to respond to applications and manage Authorisations throughout their lifecycle. (NEW)
ENS Timing Requirement For the Channel Tunnel, due to juxtaposed controls, the ENS must be lodged at least 1 hour before arrival at the Eurotunnel. Note this can take place at any point between step 1 & 4.
Departure and Crossing	Step 5: Driver Driver arrives at check-in with the goods and GMR, which is scanned by the carrier before boarding. Folkestone identified as the Office of Transit. Border Force may carry out juxtaposed controls.
Crossing and Arrival	Step 6: Driver For GB imports via locations using GVMS for transit, is notified before arrival if customs inspections at an inland facility are required. Driver proceeds to Office of Destination or Authorised Consignee.
Arrival
Discharge Transit Movement	Step 7: Freight Forwarder Freight Forwarder ensures transit movement is ended on NCTS before entering the UK STW and submitting the data fields required for a Full Customs Declaration, receiving a Movement Reference Number (MRN). (NEW)
Goods released	Step 8: Freight Forwarder Freight Forwarder Pay any duties and New VAT via UK STW. If VAT registered, use postponed VAT accounting. (NEW)

8 Landbridge Movement - Common Transit Convention (NCTS5 - 2024) Standard Goods - Accompanied - Full Customs Declaration

Example of the steps required for goods arriving in the UK via accompanied Roll-on Roll-off (Roo) transport. In this scenario the haulage company as the operator of the active means of transport will submit the Safety & Security Declaration and the trader Import Customs Declarations, using simplified declaration procedures. Declarations will be submitted to HMG via the UK Single Trade Window (STW).

New processes

RoI to GB
NI to RoI
Contract of Carriage	Step 1: Freight Forwarder Confirm that the goods & commercial details from the trader have been received. The ferry service has a similar agreement with the freight forwarder relating to the carriage and ticket.
RoI > GB Transit Movement	Step 2: Driver Driver collects the NCTS electronic Movement Reference Number (MRN) from either the Office of Departure or Authorised Consignor.
RoI > GB Transit Movement	Step 3: Freight Forwarder Freight Forwarder For GB imports via ports using GVMS for transit, creates a Goods Movement Reference (GMR), submitting the movement details (vehicle/crossing) and enters the Transit MRN once available.
RoI > GB Transit Movement	UK STW - Unified Data Will aim to expand the principle of using unified data across submissions; in doing so, further reducing customer duplication and effort. (NEW)
Entry Summary Declaration (ENS)	Step 4: Freight Forwarder Freight Forwarder Required from November 2024 for EU-GB movements. Enter the STW or CSP and submit the mandatory and conditional fields, receiving an Movement Reference Number (MRN).
ENS Timing Requirement RoRo accompanied goods must be lodged at least 2 hours before the goods are due to arrive in Great Britain. Note this can take place at any point between step 1 and 4.
Departure and Crossing	Step 5: Freight Forwarder For GB imports via ports using GVMS for transit, is notified before arrival if customs inspections at an inland facility are required. Border Force may also request security inspections on arrival.
S&S Waiver From November 2023 Export Summary Declarations will be waived for the transit exports.
GB to EU
Goods Vehicle Movement Service	Step 6: Carrier For GB exports via ports using GVMS for transit, creates another GMR before check-in, using the transit MRN and completing the movement level details. The GMR is presented at check-in.
End of Journey	Step 6: Carrier Driver leaves the Office of Destination. The haulier will have also met local requirements on arrival in the EU.

9 Eurotunnel - Pre-Lodgement Model - Common Transit Convention (NCTS5 - 2024) MEDIUM RISK Animal Products - Accompanied RoRo - Full Customs Declaration

UK STW will be delivered iteratively through strategic releases and will provide self-serve functionality and ability to share and collaborate on declarations.

New processes

Transit
Pre-departure
Contract of Carriage	Step 1: Freight Forwarder Freight Forwarder collects the NCTS electronic Movement Reference Number (MRN) from either the Office of Departure or Authorised Consignor.
Determine type of certificate and signor, compile information	Step 2: Exporter Identify the relevant certificate and required signor. For most EHCs/Countries an Official Veterinarian would be required. The signor will need available all information to satisfy the conditions and requirements within the certificate.
Certificate signed	Step 3: Exporter/Competent Authority Once the signor is satisfied the goods have met GB requirements, and reviewed supporting information, complete a simplified EHC.
Provide importer with certification	Step 4: Exporter Once the EHC is signed, send a pdf copy to the importer.
EU > GB Transit Movement	Step 5: Driver Collects the NCTS electronic Movement Reference Number (MRN) from either the Office of Departure or Authorised Consignor (ACC).
NCTS Phase 6 In 2025 NCTS6 shares the Transit Safety Accompanying Document (TSAD) to fulfil Safety & Security requirements if like the UK, the Transit country has enabled them. (NEW)
Documentary Checks No official controls although some consignments may be subject to educational documentary checks where feedback on the certification is provided to importers. ENS Timing Requirement For the Channel Tunnel, due to juxtaposed controls, the ENS must be lodged at least 1 hour before arrival at the Eurotunnel. Note this can take place at any point between step 1 & 7.
Office of Transit Non-RoRo Channel Tunnel rail freight excluded from using GVMS for Office of Transit
Pre-notification	Step 6: Importer Complete one working day pre-arrival unless 4 hour derogation pre-agreed with PHA due to logistical constraints. You must also upload the PDF copy of the EHC to IPAFFS as part of pre-notification.
Entry Summary Declaration (ENS)	Step 7: Freight Forwarder Required from November 2024 for EU-GB movements. Enter the STW or CSP and submit the mandatory and conditional fields, receiving an Movement Reference Number (MRN).
Export S&S Waiver Export Summary Declarations will be waived for the transit exports. (NEW)
Goods Vehicle Movement Service	Step 8: Haulage Company For GB imports via ports using GVMS for transit, create a Goods Movement Reference (GMR), submitting the movement details (vehicle/crossing) and Transit MRN once available.
Departure & Crossing	Step 9: Driver Arrive at check-in with the goods and GMR, which is scanned by the carrier before boarding. Folkestone is identified as the Office of Transit. Border Force may carry out juxtaposed controls.
Crossing & Arrival	Step 10: Driver Instructions are received via IPAFFS for SPS and GVMS for customs controls. If instructed, you will need to report to the appropriate inspection location. This will either be at your border location of arrival or at an inland border facility (IBF).
Crossing & Arrival	Physical Checks No identity and physical checks Other non SPS checks may be required. ACC do not need to attend an inland border facility. ACCs can start and end transit movement of goods at their own premises.
Onward journey
Discharge Transit Movement	Step 11: Freight Forwarder Ensure transit movement on NCTS is ended before entering the UK STW and submitting the data fields required for a Full Customs Declaration, receiving a Movement Reference Number (MRN)
Goods released	Step 12: Freight Forwarder Pay any duties and VAT via UK STW. If VAT registered, use postponed VAT accounting

10 Eurotunnel - Pre-Lodgement Model - Common Transit Convention (NCTS5 - 2024) MEDIUM RISK Animal Products - Accompanied RoRo - Full Customs Declaration

UK STW will be delivered iteratively through strategic releases and will provide self-serve functionality and ability to share and collaborate on declarations.

New processes

RoI to GB
NI to RoI
Contract of Carriage	Step 1: Freight Forwarder Freight Forwarder collects the NCTS electronic Movement Reference Number (MRN) from either the Office of Departure or Authorised Consignor.
Determine type of certificate and signor, compile information	Step 2: Exporter Identify the relevant certificate and required signor. For most EHCs/Countries an Official Veterinarian would be required. The signor will need available all information to satisfy the conditions and requirements within the certificate.
NCTS Phase 6 In 2025 NCTS6 shares the Transit Safety Accompanying Document (TSAD) to full Safety & Security requirements if like the UK, the Transit country has enabled them. (NEW)
Certificate signed	Step 3: Exporter/Competent Authority Once the signor is satisfied the goods have met GB requirements, and reviewed supporting information, complete a simplified EHC.
Provide importer with certification	Step 4: Exporter Once the EHC is signed, send a pdf copy to the importer.
Documentary Checks No official controls although some consignments may be subject to educational documentary checks where feedback on the certification is provided to importers.
EU > GB Transit Movement	Step 5: Driver Collects the NCTS electronic Movement Reference Number (MRN) from either the Office of Departure or Authorised Consignor (ACC).
EU > GB Transit Movement	ENS Timing Requirement For the Channel Tunnel, due to juxtaposed controls, the ENS must be lodged at least 1 hour before arrival at the Eurotunnel. Note this can take place at any point between step 1 & 7.
Office of Transit Non-RoRo Channel Tunnel rail freight excluded from using GVMS for Office of Transit
Pre-notification	Step 6: Importer Complete one working day pre-arrival unless 4 hour derogation pre-agreed with PHA due to logistical constraints. You must also upload the PDF copy of the EHC to IPAFFS as part of pre-notification.
Entry Summary Declaration (ENS)	Step 7: Freight Forwarder Required from November 2024 for EU-GB movements. Enter the STW or CSP and submit the mandatory and conditional fields, receiving an Movement Reference Number (MRN).
S&S Waiver From November 2023 Export Summary Declarations will be waived for the transit exports.
Goods Vehicle Movement Service	Step 8: Haulage Company For GB imports via ports using GVMS for transit, create a Goods Movement Reference (GMR), submitting the movement details (vehicle/crossing) and Transit MRN once available.
Departure & Crossing	Step 9: Driver Arrive at check-in with the goods and GMR, which is scanned by the carrier before boarding. Folkestone is identified as the Office of Transit. Border Force may carry out juxtaposed controls.
Crossing & Arrival	Step 10: Driver Instructions are received via IPAFFS for SPS and GVMS for customs controls. If instructed, you will need to report to the appropriate inspection location. This will either be at your border location of arrival or at an inland border facility (IBF).
Crossing & Arrival	Physical Checks No identity and physical checks Other non SPS checks may be required. ACC do not need to attend an inland border facility. ACCs can start and end transit movement of goods at their own premises.
GB to EU
Discharge Transit Movement	Step 11: Freight Forwarder Ensure transit movement on NCTS is ended before entering the UK STW and submitting the data fields required for a Full Customs Declaration, receiving a Movement Reference Number (MRN).
Goods released	Step 12: Freight Forwarder Pay any duties and VAT via UK STW. If VAT registered, use postponed VAT accounting.

13.3 Annex C: Sanitary and phytosanitary user journeys

The Sanitary and Phytosanitary user journeys are designed to illustrate a high level view of the new import regime for Sanitary and Phytosanitary goods.

The journeys set out the primary Sanitary and Phytosanitary import procedures for EU and Rest of World goods from January 2024, April 2024, and from October 2024.

The procedures will vary depending on the risk categorisation applied. The goods and countries of origin used are for illustrative purposes only. The final categorisation has not yet been determined; once determined the model will be dynamic and some goods may move categories.

The steps shown are in addition to other border procedures such as customs controls and additional certification that may be required to import particular goods.

Further refinement to these processes will develop as legislation permits and policy and systems are co-designed with industry.

LOW RISK Animal Products from EU (January 2024)
Canned Cured Chicken Breast from Denmark

Introduction of simplified CHED pre-notification

Pre-arrival
Step 1: Importer	Pre-notification The importer will complete a simplified CHED-P notification. This will be required one working day pre-arrival unless 4 hour derogation pre-agreed with PHA due to logistical constraints'
Step 2: Importer	Commercial Documentation The importer will need to ensure they have all relevant documentation to cover import requirements, including essential traceabilitv intormation.
Step 3: Haulier/Carrier	Routing The person responsible for the load will be able to enter via any point of entry.
	No certification or SPS checks No certification requirements or, SPS documentary, identity and physical checks on EU low risk goods. Other non SPS checks may be required.
At the border
Step 4: HMG	Product released Product released If the product passes any applicable non-SPS checks and clears customs requirements, it will be released into free circulation and can proceed.

LOW RISK Animal Products from RoW (January 2024)
Canned Frankfurters from Canada

User journey remains the same apart from access to available simplified certificates for RoW goods at end of 2023

Pre-arrival
Pre-departure
Step 1: Exporter	Determine type of certificate and signor, then compile information Exporter identifies relevant simplified certificate and required signor. For most EHCs/Countries an Official Veterinarian would be required. The signor will need available all information to satisfy the conditions and requirements within the certificate.
Step 2: Exporter/Competent Authority	Certificate signed Once the signor is satisfied goods have met GB requirements, and reviewed supporting information, they will complete a simplified EHC.
Step 3: Exporter	Provide importer with certification Once the simplified EHC is signed, the exporter will need to send a pdf copy to the importer and ensure the original paper certificate accompanies the goods or is sent directly to the PHA.
Step 4: Haulier/Carrier	Routing The person responsible for the load will need to ensure goods enter GB via a suitable point of entry with a designated BCP for ambient POAO for human consumption
Step 5: Importer	Pre-notification The importer will complete a CHED-P notification consisting of c.35 data fields. This will be required one working day pre-arrival unless 4 hour derogation pre-agreed with PHA due to logistical constraints. Importer must also upload the PDF copy of the EHC to IPAFFS as part of pre-notification.
At the border
Step 6: HMG	Documentary checks 100% documentary checks take place at the BCP with the paper certification.
Step 7: HMG	Arrival 100% ID and a percentage of physical inspections take place at the BCP.
Step 7: HMG	Physical & identity checks will remain at current levels for RoW goods
Step 8: HMG	Product released If the product passes all checks (including non-SPS checks if applicable) and clears customs requirements, it can be released into free circulation and can proceed to destination.

LOW RISK Animal Products from RoW and EU (April 2024)
Canned Frankfurters from Canada or Canned Cured Chicken Breast from Denmark

Removal of certification and introduction of simplified CHED notification for RoW aligning to EU requirements

Pre-arrival
Pre-departure
Step 1: Importer	Pre-notification The importer will complete a simplified CHED-P, a reduction on the current c.35 field process. This will be required one working day pre-arrival unless 4 hour derogation pre-agreed with PHA due to logistical constraints.
Step 2: Importer	Commercial Documentation The person responsible for the load will need to ensure goods enter GB via a suitable point of entry with a designated BCP for POAO for human consumption.
Step 3: Haulier/Carrier	Routing The person responsible for the load will need to ensure goods enter GB via a suitable point of entry with a designated BCP for ambient POAO for human consumption
Step 3: Haulier/Carrier	No certification or SPS checks No SPS certification or routine checks other than intelligence led inspections. Other non SPS checks may be required.
At the border
Step 4: HMG	Product released If the product passes any applicable non-SPS checks and clears customs requirements, it will be released into free circulation and can proceed to destination.

LOW RISK Animal Products RoW and EU (April 2024)
Canned Wild Caught Salmon from Canada

Removal of certification and introduction of simplified CHED notification for RoW aligning to EU requirements

Pre-arrival
Pre-departure
Step 1: Exporter/Competent Authority	Exporter applies for IUU documentation (e.g. a Catch Certificate) and shares those documents, when validated by the exporter's competent authority, with the GB importer
Step 2: Importer	Commercial Documentation The importer will need to ensure they have all relevant documentation to cover import requirements, including essential traceability information.
Step 3: Importer	Importer pre-notification The importer will complete a simplified CHED-P, a reduction on the current c.35 field process. This will be required one working day pre-arrival unless 4 hour derogation pre-agreed with PHA due to logistical constraints. Importer to upload IUU documents to IPAFFS for documentary checks by PHA
Step 4: Haulier/Carrier	Routing The person responsible for the load will need to ensure goods enter GB via a suitable point of entry with a designated BCP for POAO for human consumption.
At the border
Step 5: HMG	Product released If the product passes all checks (including non-SPS checks if applicable) and clears customs requirements, it can be released into free circulation and can proceed to destination.
Step 5: HMG	No certification or SPS checks No routine SPS checks, but goods may be subject to intelligence led inspections. Other non SPS checks may be required and the PHA may select the consignment for a physical IUU inspection

LOW RISK Animal Products RoW and EU (October 2024)
Canned Frankfurters from Canada or Canned Cured Chicken Breast from Denmark

Safety and Security declarations introduced for EU imports

Pre-arrival
Pre-departure
Step 1: Importer	Importer pre-notification The importer will complete a simplified CHED-P. a reduction on the current c.35 field process. This will be required one working day pre-arrival unless 4 hour derogation pre-agreed with PHA due to logistical constraints. This will be in addition to the new requirement for S&S declarations on EU goods.
Step 2: Importer	Commercial Documentation The importer will need to ensure they have all relevant documentation to cover import requirements, including essential traceability information.
Step 3: Haulier/Carrier	Routing The person responsible for the load will need to ensure goods enter GB via a suitable point of entry with a designated BCP for POAO for human consumotion.
Step 3: Haulier/Carrier	No certification or SPS checks No SPS certification or routine checks other than intelligence led inspections. Other non SPS checks maw he required.
At the border
Step 4: HMG	Product released If the product passes all checks (Including non-SPS checks if applicable) and clears customs requirements. it can be released into free circulation and can proceed to destination.

MEDIUM RISK Animal Products FROM EU (January 2024)
Fresh Chicken from France

Introduction of health certification requirements for medium risk EU goods and CHED notification

Pre-arrival
Pre-departure
Step 1: Exporter	Determine type of certificate and signor, compile information Exporter identifies relevant certificate and required signor. For most EHCs/Countries an Official Veterinarian would be required. The signor will need available all information to satisfy the conditions and requirements within the certificate.
Step 2: Exporter/Competent Authority	Certificate signed Once the signor is satisfied the goods have met GB requirements, and reviewed supporting information, they will complete a simplified GB EHC.
Step 3: Exporter	Provide importer with certification Once the EHC is signed, the exporter will need to send a verifiable pdf copy to the importer.
Step 4: Importer	Pre-notification The importer will complete CHED-P pre-notification on IPAFFS. Importer must also upload the PDF copy of the EHC to IPAFFS as part of pre-notification.
Step 5: HMG	Documentary checks Some consignments will be subject to documentary checks where feedback on the certification is provided to the importer.
At the border
Step 6: HMG	Product released If the product passes any applicable non-SPS checks and clears customs requirements, it can proceed to destination and be released into free ciroulation and can proceed to costination.
Step 6: HMG	No checks No identity and physical checks Other non SPS checks may be required,

MEDIUM RISK Animal Products FROM RoW (January 2024)
Frozen Beef from Brazil

User journey remains the same apart from simplified certificates for RoW goods

Pre-arrival
Pre-departure
Step 1: Exporter	Determine type of certificate & signor, then compile information Exporter identifies relevant simplified certificate and required signor. For most EHCs/Countries an Official Veterinarian would be required. The signor will need all information to satisfy the conditions and requirements within the certificate.
Step 2: Exporter/Competent Authority	Certificate signed Once the signor is satisfied goods have met GB requirements & reviewed supporting information they will complete a simplified GB ЕНС.
Step 3: Exporter	Provide importer with certification Once the EHC is signed, the exporter will need to send a PDF copy to the importer and ensure that the original paper certificate can be presented with the consignment at the BCP (certificate can either travel with the consignment or be sent to PHA).
Step 4: Haulier/Carrier	Routing The person responsible for the load will need to ensure goods enter GB via a suitable point of entry with a designated BCP for frozen POAO for human consumption.
Step 5: Importer	Pre-notification The importer will complete a CHED-P notification consisting of c.35 data fields. This will be required one working day pre-arrival unless 4 hour derogation pre-agreed with PHA due to logistical constraints. Importer must also upload the PDF copy of the EHC to IPAFFS as part of pre-notification.
At the border
Step 6: HMG	Documentary checks/Arrival 100% documentary checks take place at the BCP with the paper certification. 100% ID and a percentage of physical inspections take place at the BCP.
Step 6: HMG	Physical & identity checks will remain at current levels for RoW goods
Step 7: HMG	Product released If the product passes all checks (including non-SPS checks if applicable) and clears customs requirements, it can be released into free circulation and can proceed to destination.

MEDIUM RISK Animal Products from RoW and EU (April 2024)
Fresh Beef from Brazil or Chicken from France

Introduce checks for EU goods and implement new check model for RoW imports

Pre-arrival
Pre-departure
Step 1: Exporter	Determine type of certificate & signor, then compile information Exporter identifies relevant simplified certificate and required signor. For most EHCs/Countries an Official Veterinarian would be required. The signor will need available all information to satisfv the conditions and requirements within the certificate.
Step 2: Exporter/Competent Authority	Certificate signed Once the signor is satisfied the goods have met GB requirements, they will complete a simplified GB EHC.
Step 3: Exporter	Provide importer with certification Once the EHC is signed the exporter will need to send a PDF copy to the importer and will need to ensure the original paper certificate is sent to the PHA. Where a verifiable PDF is used for EU goods the requirement for a paper certificate is removed
Step 4: Haulier/Carrier	Routing The person responsible for the load will need to ensure goods enter GB via a suitable point of entry with a designated BCP for chilled POAO for human consumption.
Step 5: Importer	Pre-notification The importer will complete a CHED-P notification consisting of c.35 data fields This will be required one working day pre-arrival unless 4 hour derogation pre-agreed with PHA due to logistical constraints. Importer must also upload the PDF copy of the EHC to IPAFFS as part of pre-notification.
At the border
Step 6: HMG	Documentarv checks Before the goods arrive, an official will review each certificate and other documentation individuallv and decide whether to request the goods report for identitv and/or ohysical checks.
Step 7: HMG	Arrival If the official deems a check is required, or if the consignment is randomly selected: (RoRo) the importer, agent or driver will be notified by HMG to report for a physical check at a relevant BCP for an inspection by a certified inspector; (LoLo) Port staff will move the container to BCP.
Step 7: HMG	Check levels for medium risk products will generally be 1%, although this may be higher
Step 8: HMG	Product released If the product passes all checks (including non-SPS checks if applicable) and clears customs requirements. it can be released into free circulation and can proceed to destination

MEDIUM RISK Animal Products from RoW and EU (October 2024)
Fresh Beef from Brazil or Chicken from France

Safety and Security declarations introduced for EU imports (RoW -certification to be confirmed, process will differ where e-certification is not in place)

Pre-arrival
Pre-departure
Step 1: Exporter	Determine type of certificate & signor, then compile information Exporter identifies relevant certificate and required signor. For most EHCs/Countries an Official Veterinarian would be required. The signor will need information to satisfy the conditions and reguirements within the certificate.
Step 2: Exporter/Competent Authority	For digitised certification Signor uploads simplified data/e-signature that transfer directly to HMG systems (for countries where e-certification is in place} EU TRACES will allow quick production and pre-population of repeated certificates.
Step 3: Haulier/Carrier	Routing The person responsible for the load will need to ensure goods enter GB via a suitable point of entry with a designated BCP for chilled POAO for human consumption.
Step 4: Importer	Importer pre-notification Once the EHC is digitally signed, the importer will have the option to use EHC data transmitted via the exporting country national system to pre-populate the pre-notification (for countries where E-certification is in place) This will complete the majority of data that can be provided by the exporter at the point of certification. The remaining information will be entered manually. This will be in addition to the new requirement for S8S declarations on EU goods.
Step 5: HMG	Documentary check Documentary checks will be 100% and potentially automated
At the border
Step 6: HMG	Physical/Identity checks If the official deems a check is required, or if the consignment is randomly selected: (Roo) the importer, agent or driver will be notified by HMG to report for a physical check at a relevant BCP for an inspection by a certified inspector, (LoLo) Port staff will move the container to BCP.
Step 6: HMG	Check levels for medium risk products will generally be 1%, although this may be higher
Step 7: HMG	Product released Following successful completion of any SPS checks as well customs and non-sps

High-Risk Food and Feed Not of Animal Origin (HRFNAO)* (January 2024)

If HRFNAO enters GB, having been placed on the EU Market and not subject to any further processing

*There is currently no HRENAO of EU originlisted so this refers to where HRFNAO from outside the EU has been placed on the EU Market and not been subject to any further processing.

**Annex I goods will skip steps 2 & 3

Pre-arrival
Pre-departure
Step 1: Exporter	Identify whether commodity is high-risk and requires certification Using Retained EU Regulation 2019/1793, determine if the commodity to be imported into GB is listed in either Annex I or il and therefore subject to import requirements. *Annex I products will be subject to pre-notification. Annex II will require an EHC and a cert of lab analysis completed by the competent authority in the country of despatch.
Step 2: Exporter/Competent Authority	Certificates completed This step only applies for those commodities listed in Annex II of Retained EU Regulation 2019/1793. The exporter approaches the Competent Authority which arranges for sampling and analysis and provides a certificate of analysis and completes the EHC.
Step 3: Exporter	Provide importer with certification EHC is signed, the exporter needs to send a pdf copy to the importer and ensure the original paper certificate accompanies the goods.
Step 4: Haulier/Carrier	Routing Consignments will continue to be able to enter GB through any point of entry.
Step 5: Importer	Pre-notification Complete an IMP notification on IPAFFS until CHED D is introduced from end November. Importer must also upload commercial documentation and a PDF copy of the EHC and accompanying analytical report (where required) to the IMP as part of pre-notification
Step 6: HMG	Documentary check Some consignments will be subject to documentary checks where feedback on the certification is provided to the importer,
At the border
Step 7: HMG	Product released no SPS controls at the border. Once consignment passes any other checks and clears any customs requirements, it can be released into free circulation and can proceed to destination

High-Risk Food and Feed Not of Animal Origin (HRFNAO)* (April 2024)

If HRFNAO enters GB via the EU having been placed in the EU Market and not subject to any further processing or direct from ROW

*There is currently no HRFNAO of EU origin listed so this refers to where HRFNAO from outside the EU has been placed on the EU market and not been subject to any further processing.

**Annex I goods will skip steps 2 & 3

Pre-arrival
Pre-departure
Step 1: Exporter	Identify whether commodity is high-risk and requires certification Using Retained EU Regulation 2019/1793, determine whether the commodity to be imported into GB is listed in either Annex I or I and subject to import requirements. **Annex I products will be subiect to pre-notification. Annex I will require an EHC and a certificate of laboratory analysis completed by the competent authority in the country of despatch.
Step 2: Exporter/Competent Authority	Certificates completed This step only applies for those commodities listed in Annex Il of Retained EU Regulation 2019/1793. The exporter approaches the Competent Authority which arranges for sampling and analysis and provides a certificate of analvsis and completes the EHC.
Step 3: Exporter	Provide importer with certification Once the EHC is signed, the exporter will need to send a pdf copy to the importer and ensure the original paper certificate accompanies the goods.
Step 4: Haulier/Carrier	Routing The person responsible for the load will need to ensure goods enter GB via a suitable point of entry with a designated BCP for HRFNAO inspections.
Step 5: Importer	Pre-notification The importer will complete a CHED-D notification consisting of 35 data fields. This will be required one working day pre-arrival unless 4 hour derogation pre-agreed with PHA due to logistical constraints. Importer must also upload the PDF copy of the EHC to IPAFPS as part of pre-notification and accompanvino analvtical report (where required) after EHC.
Step 6: HMG	Documentary check Before the goods arrive, an official will review each certificate and other documentation individually and decide whether to reauest the goods report for identity and/or physical checks.
At the border
Step 7: HMG	Arrival If the official deems a check is reguired. or if the consignment is randomly selected, the importer, agent or driver/port operator (for unaccompanied loads) will be notified. The consignment must be presented to the relevant BCP for an in-person inspection by an authorised officer.
Step 7: HMG	Identity and physical checks will remain as stipulated in Retained EU Regulation 2019/1793
Step 8: HMG	Product released If the product passes all checks and clears customs requirements, It can proceed to point of destination, ready to be released into free circulation.

High-Risk Food and Feed Not of Animal Origin (HRFNAO)* (October 2024)
Introduction of Safety and Security declarations for EU imports

If HRNAO enters GB via the EU having been placed on the EU market and not subject to any further processing or direct from RoW

*There is currently no HRFNAO of EU origin listed so this refers to where HRFNAO from outside the EU has been placed on the EU market and not been subject to any further processing.

**Annex I goods will skip steps 2 & 3

Pre-arrival
Pre-departure
Step 1: Exporter	Identify whether commodity is high-risk and requires certification Using Retained EU Regulation 2019/1793, decide if the commodity to be imported into GB is listed in Annex I or Il and subject to import requirements. **Annex I products will be subiect to pre-notification. Those listed in Annex il will require an EHC and a certificate of laboratory analysis completed by the competent authorty in the country of despatch.
Step 2: Exporter/Competent Authority	Certificates completed This step only apolies for those commodities listed in Annex il of Retained EU Regulation 2019/1793. The exporter approaches the Competent Authority which arranges for sampling and analysis and provides a certificate of analysis and completes the EHC.
Step 3: Exporter	Provide importer with certification Once the EHC is signed, the exporter will need to send a pdf copy to the importer and ensure the original paper certificate accompanies the aoods.
Step 4: Haulier/Carrier	Routing The person responsible for the load will need to ensure goods enter GB via a suitable point of entry with a designated BCP for HRFNAO inspections.
Step 5: Importer	Pre-notification Once the EHC is digitally signed, the systems will also automatically compile the data via APIs and the importer will simply need to review its accuracy before submission. This will be in addition to the new requirement for S&5 declarations on EU goods.
Step 6: HMG	Documentary check Before the goods arrive, an official will review each certificate and other documentation individually and decide whether to request the goods report for identity and/or physical checks.
At the border
Step 7: HMG	Arrival If the official deems a check is reguired or if the consignment is randomly selected, the importer, agent or driver/port operator (for unaccompanied loads) will be notified by [HMG). The consignment must be presented to the relevant BCP for an in-person inspection by an authorised officer.
Step 7: HMG	Identity and physical checks will remain as stipulated in Retained EU Regulation 2019/1793.
Step 8: HMG	Product released If the product passes all checks and clears customs requirements, it can proceed to point of destination. ready to be released into free circulation.

HIGH RISK ANIMALS from EU (January 2024)
Live Cattle from the Netherlands

User journey remains the same, simplified certificates available

Animal welfare requirements (e.g. journey log) must also be complied with

Pre-arrival
Pre-departure
Step 1: Exporter	Determine type of certificate and signor, then compile information Exporter identifies relevant simplified certificate & signor. For most live animals an Official Veterinarian would be required as a signor. The signor will need all information to satisfy the conditions and requirements within the certiticate
Step 2: Exporter/Competent Authority	Certificate signed Once the signor is satisfied the animals have met GB requirements, and reviewed relevant information, they will complete GB EHC.
Step 3: Exporter	Provide importer with certification Once the EHC is signed, the exporter will need to send a pdf copy to the importer and for countries not using TRACES they will also need to ensure the original paper certificate accompanies the animals.
Step 4: Importer	Routing The person responsible for the load will need to ensure goods enter GB via a suitable point of entry with a designated BCP for HRFNAO inspections.
Step 5: HMG	Documentary checks An official will review each certificate and other documentation individually and decide whether to request the animals require identity and/or physical checks at destination.
At the border
Step 6: HMG	Arrival if the consignment is selected for a physical check, APHA will conduct an on-site inspection at animal/s destination
Step 6: HMG	Physical and identity checks will remain at destination for live animals from the EU and there will be no SPS customs holds.

HIGH RISK ANIMALS from RoW (January 2024)
Pigs for Breeding from USA

User journey remains the same, simplified certificates available

Animal welfare requirements (e.g. journey log) must also be complied with

Pre-arrival
Pre-departure
Step 1: Exporter	Determine type of certificate and signor, then compile information Exporter identifies relevant simplified certificate and required signor. For most live animals an Official Veterinarian would be required. The signor will need available all information to satisfy the conditions and requirements within the certificate.
Step 2: Exporter/Competent Authority	Certificate signed Once the signor is satisfied the animals have met GB requirements, and reviewed supporting information, they will complete a simplified EHC.
Step 3: Exporter	Provide importer with certification Once the EHC is signed, the exporter will need to send a pdf copy to the importer and ensure the original paper certificate accompanies the animals.
Step 4: Haulier/Carrier	Routing The person responsible for the load will need to ensure goods enter GB via a suitable point of entry with a designated live animal BCP designated for ungulates.
Step 5: HMG	Pre-notification The importer will complete a CHED-A notification consisting of c.35 data fields. This will be required one working day pre-arrival. Importer must also upload the PDF copy of the EHC to IPAFFS as part of pre-notification.
At the border
Step 6: HMG	Documentary checks / Physical inspection 100% documentary, ID and physical inspections are carried out at the BCP. (certain post import tests carried out al destination)
Step 6: HMG	Physical and identity checks will remain at BCPs for RoW live animals
Step 7: HMG	If the animal passes all checks and clears customs requirements, it can be released into free circulation and can proceed to destination.

HIGH RISK ANIMALS from EU or RoW (October 2024)
Live Cattle from Netherlands or Pigs for Breeding from USA

Introduce physical checks at “BCPs in line with facilities becoming available. Introduction of Safety and Security declarations for EU imports.

*for illustrative purposes only. the actual phasing in of BC inspections for different EU live animal species is still being determined

Animal welfare requirements (e.g. journey log) must also be complied with

Pre-arrival
Pre-departure
Step 1: Exporter	Determine type of certificate and signor, then compile information Exporter identifies relevant certificate & required signor. For most live animals an Official Veterinarian would be required. The signor will need available all information to satisfy the conditions and requirements within the certificate.
Step 2: Exporter/Competent Authority	Digitised certification Signor uploads simplified data/e-signature that transfer directly to HMG systems. [EU TRACES will allow quick production and pre-population of repeated certificates]
Step 3: Haulier/Carrier	Routing The person responsible for the load will need to ensure goods enter GB via a suitable point of entry with a designated ungulate BCP.
Step 4: Importer	Importer pre-notification Once the EHC is digitally signed, the importer will have the option to use EHC dala transmilted via the exporting country national system to pre-populate the pre-notification (for countries where E certification is in place) This will complete the majority of data that can be provided by the exporter at the point of certification. The remaining information will be entered manually. This will be in addition to the new requirement for Safety and Security declarations on EU goods.
Step 5: HMG	Documentary check Documentary checks will be 100% and will be automated in time.
At the border
Step 6: HMG	Physical/Identity checks The importer, agent or driver will be notified by HMG to report for a physical check at a relevant BCP for an in-person inspection by a certified inspector. Certain non-livestock species may be checked at destination (certain post import tests will be carried out at destination regardless of check location
Step 6: HMG	[ID and physical checks on EU animals will move to BCPs as capacity allows]
Step 7: HMG	Product released For animals checked at a BCP, following successful completion of any SPS checks as well customs and non-SPS the product proceeds to point of destination.

MEDIUM RISK PLANT AND PLANT PRODUCTS from EU (January 2024)
Dianthus - Cut Carnations

Introduce certification requirements for EU goods (introduce digitisation via ePhyto for EU exporting countries that use TRACES NT as an export module)

Pre-arrival
Pre-departure
Step 1: Exporter	Determine type of certificate and signor, then compile information Exporter identifies relevant Phytosanitary Certificate (PC). These are digitised as ePhyto's and sent directly from one the EU's competent authority to the GB competent authority. Exporter will receive a unique reference number
Step 2: Exporter/Competent Authority	Digitised certification Exporting CA transmits ePhyto through the IPPC hub that will transfer directly to HMG systems.
Step 3: Exporter	Provide importer with certification Once the ePhyto is signed the importer will receive the unique reference number allowing them to retrieve the ePhyto from HMG systems
Step 4: Importer	Pre-notification The importer will complete a CHED-PP, by cloning the information from the ePhyto and completing any other fields that are required
Step 5: HMG	Documentary checks Document checks will be completed remotely by plant health services (APHA/SASA).
At the border
Step 6: HMG	Product released At the point where all checks are passed the product will be released into free circulation and can proceed to destination.
Step 6: HMG	No physical checks No physical and identity checks on EU medium risk goods until January 2024

MEDIUM RISK PLANT AND PLANT PRODUCTS from RoW (January 2024)
Dianthus - Cut Carnations

No changes introduced

Pre-arrival
Pre-departure
Step 1: Exporter	Determine type of certificate and signor, then compile information Exporter identifies relevant Phytosanitary Certificate (PC). These are paper-based certificates which will be provided to the exporter.
Step 2: Exporter/Competent Authority	Digitised certification Once the RoW CA has conducted an inspection, they will complete and issue a paper-based PC
Step 3: Exporter	Provide importer with certification Once the PC is signed, the exporter will need to send a pdf copy to the importer and ensure the original paper certificate accompanies the goods.
Step 4: Importer	Pre-notification The importer will complete a CHED-PP. Importer must also upload the PDF copy of the PC to IPAFFS as part of pre-notification
Step 5: Haulier/Carrier	Routing The person responsible for the load will need to ensure goods enter GB via a suitable point of entry with a designated BCP or inland Control Point for P&PP as notified on the CHED-PP.
Step 6: HMG	Documentary checks Document checks will be completed remotely by plant health service (APHA/SASA). The risk engine within IPAFFS will select consignments to report for identity and physical checks.
At the border
Step 7: HMG	Arrival If the consignment is selected, the agent or importer will be notified by HMG. The haulier will then need to report to a BCP or CP selected as part of the CHED PP notification
Step 7: HMG	Physical & identity checks will remain at current levels for RoW goods
Step 8: HMG	Product released At the point where all checks are passed the product will be released into free circulation and can proceed to destination.
Step 9: Importer	Provide original PC When the original PC is received by the importer this must be provided to the Plant Health services within 5 working davs

MEDIUM RISK PLANT AND PLANT PRODUCTS from EU (April 2024)
Dianthus - Cut Carnations

Introduce physical/identity checks for EU goods

Pre-arrival
Pre-departure
Step 1: Exporter	Determine type of certificate and signor, then compile information Exporter identifies relevant Phytosanitary Certificate (PC). These are digitised as ePhyto's and sent directly from one the EU's competent authority to the GB competent authority. Exporter will receive a unique reference number.
Step 2: Exporter/Competent Authority	Digitised certification Exporting CA transmits ePhyto through the IPPC hub that will transfer directly to HMG Systems
Step 3: Exporter	Provide importer with certification Once the ePhyto is signed the importer will receive the unique reference number allowing them to retrieve the ePhylo from HMG systems.
Step 4: Importer	Pre-notification *The importer will complete a GHED-PP, by cloning the information from the ePhyto and completing any other fields that are required
Step 5: Haulier/Carrier	Routing The person responsible for the load will need to ensure goods enter GB via a suitable point of entry with a designated BCP or inland Control Point for P8PP as notified on the CHED-PP.
Step 6: HMG	Documentary checks Document checks will be completed remotely by plant health service (APHA/SASA). The risk engine within IPAFFS will select consignments to report for identity and physical checks.
At the border
Step 7: HMG	Physical/Identity checks If the consignment is selected, the agent or importer will be notified by HMG. The haulier will then need to take the goods to a BCP or CP as notified on the CHED-PP. This may be trader premises if CP designated.
Step 7: HMG	Check levels will generally be 3%. APHA/SASA record these oulcomes on IPAFFS.
Step 8: HMG	Product released At the point where all checks are passed the product will be released into free circulation and can proceed to destination.

MEDIUM RISK PLANT AND PLANT PRODUCTS from RoW (April 2024)
Dianthus - Cut Carnations

Reduced physical/identity checks for RoW

Pre-arrival
Pre-departure
Step 1: Exporter	Determine type of certificate and signor, then compile information Exporter identifies relevant Phytosanitary Certificate (PC), These are paper-based certificates which will be provided to the exporter.
Step 2: Competent Authority	Certificate signed Once the RoW CA has conducted an inspection, they will complete and issue a paper-based PC
Step 3: Exporter	Provide importer with certification Once the PC is signed, the exporter will need to send a PDF copy to the importer and ensure the original paper certificate accompanies the goods.
Step 4: Importer	Pre-notification Importer will complete a CHED-PP. Importer must also upload the PDF copy of the PC to IPAFFS as part of pre-notification.
Step 5: Haulier/Carrier	Routing The person responsible for the load will need to ensure goods enter GB via a suitable point of entry with a designated BCP or CP. This may be trader premises if CP designated.
Step 6: HMG	Documentary checks Document checks will be completed remotely by plant health service (APHA/SASA), the risk engine within IPAFFS will select consignments to report for identity and physical checks.
At the border
Step 7: HMG	Physical/Identity checks If the consignment is selected, the agent or importer will be notified by HMG. The haulier will then need to take the goods to a BCP or CP as notified on the CHED-PP. This may be trader premises if CP designated.
Step 7: HMG	Check levels will generally be 5%. APHA/SASA record these outcomes on IPAFFS.
Step 8: HMG	Product released At the point where all checks are passed the product will be released into free circulation and can proceed to destination.
Step 9: Importer	Provide original PC When the original PC is received by the importer this must be provided to the Plant Health services within 5 working days

MEDIUM RISK PLANT AND PLANT PRODUCTS from EU and RoW (October 2024)
Dianthus - Cut Carnations

Safety and Security declarations introduced for EU imports (introduce ePhyto digitisation for RoW, process will differ where ePhyto is not in place)

Pre-arrival
Pre-departure
Step 1: Exporter	Determine type of certificate and signor, then compile information Exporter identifies relevant Phytosanitary Certificate (PC). These are digitised as ePhyto's and sent directly from the exporting competent authority to the GB competent authority. Exporter will receive a unique reference number
Step 2: Competent Authority	Digitised certification Exporting CA transmits ePhyto through the IPPC hub that will transfer directly to HMG systems.
Step 3: Exporter	PC automatically cloned Once the ePhyto is signed the importer will receive the unique reference number allowing them to retrieve the ePhyto from HMG systems.
Step 4: Importer	Importer Pre-notification Importer will complete a CHED-PP. Once the PC is digitally signed, the systems will automatically compile the data via APIs from other sources and the importer will simply need to review its accuracy before submission. This will be in addition to the new requirement for S&S declarations on EU goods.
Step 5: Haulier/Carrier	Routing The person responsible for the load will need to ensure goods enter GB via a suitable point of entry with a designated BCP or inland Control Point for P&PP as notified on the CHED-PP
Step 6: HMG	Automated risk-based documentary check Documentary checks will generally reduce to 3-5% depending on country of origin and be automated.
At the border
Step 7: HMG	Physical/Identity checks If the consignment is selected, the agent or importer will be notified by HMG. The haulier will then need to take the goods to a BCP or an inland Control Point for physical and identity inspection by a HMG plant health inspector. This may be trader premises if CP designated.
Step 8: HMG	Product released At the point where all checks are passed the product will be released into free circulation and can proceed to destination.

HIGH RISK PLANT AND PLANT PRODUCTS from EU (January 2024)
Lavender plants for planting

Introduce digitisation via ePhyto for some EU MS’s that use TRACES NT for exports

Pre-arrival
Pre-departure
Step 1: Exporter	Determine type of certificate and signor, then compile information Exporter identifies relevant Phytosanitary Certificate (PC). These are digitised as ePhyto's and sent directly from one the EU's competent authority to the GB competent authority. Exporter will receive a unique reference number
Step 2: Competent Authority	Digitised certification Exporting CA transmits ePhyto through the IPPC hub that will transfer directly to HMG systems.
Step 3: Exporter	Provide importer with certification Once the ePhyto is signed the importer will receive the unique reference number allowing them to retrieve the ePhyto from HMG systems
Step 4: Importer	Pre-notification The importer will complete a CHED-PP, by cloning the information from the ePhyto and completing any other fields that are required on IPAFFS
Step 5: Haulier/Carrier	Routing The person responsible for the load will need to ensure goods enter GB via a suitable point of entry with a designated BCP or CP. This may be trader premises if CP designated.
Step 6: HMG	Documentary checks Document checks will be completed remotely by plant health services (APHA/SASA),
At the border
Step 7: HMG	Arrival Physical and identity checks are will continue to be checked at a Place of Destination (PoD) (until checks move to a BCP/CP) Jan 2024
Step 7: HMG	Physical & identity checks will remain at current levels as introduced in July 2022/harmonised checks for all third countries
Step 8: HMG	Product released At the point where all checks are passed the product will be released into free circulation.

HIGH RISK PLANT AND PLANT PRODUCTS from RoW (January 2024)
Lavender plants for planting

No changes introduced

Pre-arrival
Pre-departure
Step 1: Exporter	Determine type of certificate and signor, then compile information Exporter identifies relevant Phytosanitary Certificate (PC). These are paper-based certificates which will be provided to the exporter.
Step 2: Competent Authority	Certificate signed Once the RoW CA has conducted an inspection, they will complete and issue a paper-based PC
Step 3: Exporter	Provide importer with certification Once the PC is signed, the exporter will need to send a pdf copy to the importer land ensure the original paper certificate accompanies the goods.
Step 4: Importer	Pre-notification The importer will complete a CHED-PP. Importer must also upload the PDF copy of the PC to IPAFFS as part of pre-notification.
Step 5: Haulier/Carrier	Routing The person responsible for the load will need lo ensure goods enter GB via a suitable point of entry with a designated BCP or inland Control Point for P&PP as notified on the CHED-PP.
Step 6: HMG	Documentary checks Document checks will be comoleted remotely by plant health service (APHA/SASA). The risk engine within IPAFFS will select consignments to report for identity and physical checks
At the border
Step 7: HMG	Arrival If the consignment is selected, the agent or importer will be notified by HMG. The haulier will then need to BCP or CP selected as part of the CHED PP notification.
Step 7: HMG	Physical & Identity checks will remain at current levels as introduced in July 2022/harmonised checks for all third countries
Step 8: HMG	Product released At the point where all checks are passed the product will be released into free circulation and can proceed to destination.
Step 9: Importer	Provide original PC When the original PC is received by the imoorter this must be provided to the Plant Health services within 5 working days,

HIGH RISK PLANT AND PLANT PRODUCTS from EU (April 2024 )
Lavender plants for planting

Physical/identity checks for EU goods move to BCP’S/CP’s and introduce ePhyto digitisation for remaining EU MS’s

Pre-arrival
Pre-departure
Step 1: Exporter	Determine type of certificate and signor, then compile information Exporter identifies relevant Phylosanitary Certificate (PC). These are digitised as ePhyto's and sent directly from one the EU's competent authority to the GB competent authority. Exporter will receive a unique reference number.
Step 2: Competent Authority	Digitised certification Exporting CA transmits ePhyto through the (PPC hub that will transfer directly to HMG systems.
Step 3: Exporter	Provide importer with certification Once the ePhyto is signed the importer will receive the unique reference number allowing them to retrieve the ePhyto from HMG systems
Step 4: Importer	Pre-notification The importer will complete a CHED-PP. Importer must also upload the PDF copy of the PC to IPAFFS as part of pre-notification.
Step 5: Haulier/Carrier	Routing The person responsible for the load will need to ensure goods enter GB via a suitable point of entry with a designated BCP or CP. This may be trader premises if CP designated.
Step 6: HMG	Documentary checks Document checks will be completed remotely by plant health services (APHA/SASA). The risk engine within [PAFFS will select consignments to report for identity and physical checks.
At the border
Step 7: HMG	Physical/Identity checks If the consignment is selected, the agent or importer will be notified by HMG. The haulier will then need to take the goods to a BCP or an inland Control Point for physical and identity inspection by a HMG plant health inspector. This may be trader premises if CP designated.
Step 7: HMG	Check levels will generally be 5-100%. APHA/SASA record these outcomes on IPAFFS.
Step 8: HMG	Product released At the point where all checks are passed the product will be released into free circulation and can proceed to destination.

HIGH RISK PLANT AND PLANT PRODUCTS from RoW (April 2024)
Lavender plants for planting

Reduced physical/identity checks for RoW

Pre-arrival
Pre-departure
Step 1: Exporter	Determine type of certificate and signor, then compile information Exporter identifies relevant Phytosanitary Certificate (PC). These are paper-based certificates which will be provided to the exporter.
Step 2: Competent Authority	Certificate signed Once the RoW CA has conducted an inspection, they will complete and issue a paper-based PC.
Step 3: Exporter	Provide importer with certification Once the PC is signed, the exporter will need to send a pdf copy to the importer and ensure the original paper certificate accompanies the goods
Step 4: Importer	Pre-notification The importer will complete a CHED-PP. Importer must also upload the PDF copy of the PC to IPAFFS as part of pre-notification.
Step 5: Haulier/Carrier	Routing The person responsible for the load will need to ensure goods enter GB via a suitable point of entry with a designated BCP or CP. This may be trader premises if CP designated.
Step 6: HMG	Documentary checks Document checks will be completed remotely by plant health services (APHA/SASA). The risk engine within IPAFFS will select consignments to report for identity and physical checks.
At the border
Step 7: HMG	Physical/Identity checks If the consignment is selected, the agent or importer will be notified by HMG. The haulier will then need to take the goods to a BCP or an inland Control Point for physical and identity inspection by a HG plant health inspector. This may be trader premises if CP designated.
Step 7: HMG	Check levels will generally be 5-100%. APHA/SASA record these oulcomes on IPAFFS
Step 8: HMG	Product released At the point where all checks are passed the product will be released into free circulation and can proceed to destination.
Step 9: Importer	Provide original PC When the original PC is received by the importer this must be provided to the Plant Health services within 5 working days,

HIGH RISK PLANT AND PLANT PRODUCTS from EU and RoW (October 2024)
Lavender plants for planting

Safety and Security declarations introduced for EU imports (introduce ePhyto digitisation for RoW, process will differ where ePhyto is not in place)

Pre-arrival
Pre-departure
Step 1: Exporter	Determine type of certificate and signor, then compile information Exporter identifies relevant Phytosanitary Certificate (PC). These are digitised as ePhyto's and sent directly from the exporting competent authority to the GB competent authority. Exporter will receive a unique reference number
Step 2: Competent Authority	Digitised certification As part of continued rollout to, the exporting CA transmits ePhyto through the IPPC hub that will transfer directly to HMG systems
Step 3: Exporter	PC automatically cloned Once the ePhyto is signed the importer will receive the unique reference number allowing them to retrieve the ePhyto from HMG systems
Step 4: Importer	Importer pre-notification Importer will complete a CHED-PP. Once the PC is digitally signed, the systems will automatically compile the data via APIs and the importer will simply need to review its accuracy before submission. This will be in addition to the new requirement for S&S declarations on EU goods,
Step 5: Haulier/Carrier	Routing The person responsible for the load will need to ensure goods enter GB via a suitable point of entry with a designated BCP or CP. This may be trader premises it CP designated.
Step 6: HMG	Automated documentary check Documentary checks will remain 100% but become automated.
At the border
Step 7: HMG	Physical/Identity checks If the consignment is selected, the agent or importer will be notified by HMG. The haulier will then need to take the goods to a BCP or an inland Control Point for physical and identity inspection by a HMG plant health inspector. This may be trader premises if CP designated.
Step 8: HMG	Product released At the point where all checks are passed the product will be released into free circulation and can proceed to destination.

13.4 Annex D - Further detail on plant import requirements, broken down by risk level

Further detail on plant import requirements, broken down by risk level - Part 1

Category	Technical dossier required from NPPO to support a derogation/ case to overturn a permanent prohibition bofore imports can take place	Technical dossier required from NPPO to support import conditions for a specific trade, before imports can take place	PC required	Specific pre-export requiremants to be confirmed by additional daclarations
Prohibited (e.g. a range of coniferous tress, oak trees, seed potatoes from most third countries)	x		x	x
Very high-risk plants (a range of the highest risk trees and shrubs from all non-EU countries)		x	x	x
High-risk plants (all plants for planting, potatoes, some seed, some timber and some fruits and vegetables)			x	x
Medium-risk plants (includes plant products with an identified pest/disease risk)			x	x
Low-risk plants (listed by exception, this category is the catch- all for anything which isn/t listed elsewhere. It includes a wide range of fresh produce which doesn’t carry an identified pest/disease risk butwhere there isn’t sufficient evidence to confirm there is no risk)
Unregulated (sufficient evidence that there is no material risk to GB’s biosecurity, includes fruit of citrus, mango and durian)

Further detail on plant import requirements, broken down by risk level - Part 2

Category	Pre- notification	Systematic risk- based doc checks	Systematic risk- based ID/physical checks	Post import survelliane
Prohibited (e.g. a range of coniferous tress, oak trees, seed potatoes from most third countries)	x	x	x	x
Very high-risk plants (a range of the highest risk trees and shrubs from all non-EU countries)	x	x	x	x
High-risk plants (all plants for planting, potatoes, some seed, some timber and some fruits and vegetables)	x	x (100%)	x (5-100%)	x
Medium-risk plants (includes plant products with an identified pest/disease risk)	x	x (typically 3-5%)	x (typically 3-5%)	x
Low-risk plants (listed by exception, this category is the catch- all for anything which isn/t listed elsewhere. It includes a wide range of fresh produce which doesn’t carry an identified pest/disease risk butwhere there isn’t sufficient evidence to confirm there is no risk)				x
Unregulated (sufficient evidence that there is no material risk to GB’s biosecurity, includes fruit of citrus, mango and durian)

13.5 Annex E: Current frequencies of plant health import inspections for reference

Annex E: Frequencies of plant health import inspections across GB from July 2022 - Part 1

High-level Category	Sub Category	Frequency of ID and physical checks EU and RoW
Fruits, vegetables (other than leafy vegetables)	Not specified elsewhere in this table (EU)	3%
	Not specified elsewhere in this table (non-EU)	5%
	Momordica L. and Solanaceae Juss. (excluding Solanum tuberosum) (all other non-EU third countries)	50%
	Solanum melongena (Turkey)	30%
Leaves of plants such as herbs, spices and leafy vegetables	Not specified elsewhere in this table (EU)	3%
	Not specified elsewhere in this table (non-EU)	5%
	Ocimum (non-EU)	50%
Cut Flowers	Not specified elsewhere in this table (EU)	3%
	Not specified elsewhere in this table (non-EU)	5%
	Eryngium (non-European countries), Solidago (non-European countries), Lisianthus	10%
	Chrysanthemum L. (Colombia and Ecuador)	50%
	Rosa (Canada, USA, Mexico and India)	50%
	Rosa (Colombia, Ecuador)	3%
Branches with foliage parts of conifers other than bark	EU	3%
	Non-EU	5%
Tubers of Solanum tuberosum	Spain	100%
	Egypt, Poland, Portugal, Romania	50%
	All other third countries	3%
	Seed potatoes - Solanum tuberosum	100%
Seeds	Not specified elsewhere in this table	5%
	For trials or testing	10%
	Brassicaceae, Poaceae and Trifolium spp. (Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, New Zealand, Uruguay)	100%
	Capsicum sp., Solanum lycopersicum, Solanum tuberosum (true seed)	100%
	Triticum, Secale and Triticosecale (Afghanistan, India, Iran, Iraq, Mexico, Nepal, Pakistan, South Africa and the USA)	100%

Annex E: Frequencies of plant health import inspections across GB from July 2022 - Part 2

High-level Category	Sub Category	Frequency of ID and physical checks EU and RoW
Machinery and Vehicles	Machinery and vehicles which have been operated for agricultural or forestry purposes	5%
Soil and Growing Medium	Soil and Growing Medium	Inspected at the frequency of the plant(s) it is associated with
Grain (other than seed for sowing)of the genera Triticum, Secale and x Triticosecale	Grain (other than seed for sowing) of the genera Triticum, Secale and x Triticosecale from countries with Karnal bunt (Afghanistan, India, Iran, Iraq, Mexico, Nepal, Pakistan, South Africa and the USA	100%
Cut Christmas Trees (less than 3m height)	EU	3%
Cut Christmas Trees (less than 3m height)	Non-EU	5%
Bark	Bark	100%
Wood (and cut Christmas trees of greater than 3m height)	Wood	100%
Plants for planting, other than seed	Dormant bulbs, corms, rhizomes, tubers, onion, garlic, shallots, not in substrate intended for planting (other than tubers of potatoes) not for final users* or commercial flower production only	100%
	Dormant bulbs, corms, rhizomes, tubers, onion, garlic, shallots, not in substrate intended for planting (other than tubers of potatoes) for final users* or commercial flower production only	10%
	Cuttings	100%
	Non-woody plants (other than seed) for final users* sale. Excludes shrubs, trees, other woody nursery plants, forest reproductive material	30%
	Shrubs, trees (other than cut Christmas trees), other woodynursery plants including forest reproductive material (other than seed); plants not specified elsewhere in this table	100%
	Indoor plants (including plants for use in aquaria) for final users*	5%
	Indoor plants: "clearly packed and ready for supply to final users, identifiable as being for indoor use or use in aquaria"	5%

13.6 Annex F: Maps of Border Control Posts

Maps of the current and future Border Control Posts designated for Sanitary and Phytosanitary controls in Great Britain.

A list of Border Control Posts is published here on GOV.UK and will continue to be updated, as well as a list of authorised Border Control Posts for plant imports here on GOV.UK.

Map of current and planned Control Points and Border Control Posts in North England

Map of current and planned Control Points and Border Control Posts in Midlands and East England

Map of current and planned Control Points and Border Control Posts in South East England

Map of current and planned Control Points and Border Control Posts in Wales and South West England

Map of current and planned Control Points and Border Control Posts in Northern Ireland

Map of current and planned Control Points and Border Control Posts in Scotland

13.7 Annex G: Operational Detail for Accredited Trusted Trader Scheme for Animal Products

Governance

The management of application, assessment, and auditing for the pilot will be carried out by DEFRA, the Devolved Governments, FSA and FSS. Once pilots have been evaluated and a decision made on the enduring Trusted Trader arrangements, a permanent governance structure will be established, respecting the arrangements outlined in the UK Common Framework for Animal Health and Welfare and associated processes for public health.

The operational work of the pilot will be performed by working level officials. This working group will be comprised of representatives from several departments, including:

DEFRA
Devolved Governments (DGs)
Food Standards Agency (FSA)
Food Standards Scotland (FSS)
Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA)
Cabinet Office (CO)

Expression of Interest Process

The Expression of Interest form and supporting guidance document detailing the pilots will be published on GOV.UK.

The process steps are as follows:

The expression of interest (EOI) process will launch shortly following the publication of this Border Target Operating Model.
Businesses will need to complete and submit the EOI form, ensuring they meet all the requirements and detailing the benefit they are interested in piloting and how they can meet the co-design requirements. Businesses will need to commit to providing enough time to co-design that the pilots can be prepared for go live evaluation ahead of the pilot starting.
The applications will be sifted based on the assessment criteria that will be set out in the EOI guidance.
Following the initial sift, a cross-government panel will select the final pilot participants, ensuring a balanced representation of business size, model and pilot interest where possible.

Integration with Other Schemes

Business will not be precluded from participating in multiple schemes. Accredited Trusted Trader Scheme is concerned specifically with importing Products of Animal Origin, and some participating businesses may also deal with products of a different nature.

With the full rollout of the Single Trade Window, these proposed Trusted Trader schemes will form an important part of a cross-Government approach to Trusted Trader schemes ensuring that they are both beneficial and accessible to industry.

Enforcement and Penalties for Non-compliance

Pilots will be run on a high-trust basis between government and participating businesses, and government will set out its expectations of participants, as well as the roles and responsibilities of all parties involved prior to the pilot going live.

Failure to comply with the established criteria will as a minimum result in failure of the pilot and the participant will not be permitted to bring the associated benefit forward under the full scheme.

If the pilots are successful, a full set of compliance protocols will be developed for the enduring Accredited Trusted Trader Scheme.

13.8 Annex H: Timeline for publication of supplementary annexes and guidance

The timeline and table below set out when we intend to provide additional detail on a range of supplementary information following publication of this document.

	Supplementary guidance	Publication date
1	SPS - Trusted Trader pilots • To include the EOI / Application process • To outline Requirements for approval • To provide more detail on the pilots, including the approach to co-design approach and the specific facilitations being tested • To outline the compliance monitoring and penalties	August 2023 initial release
2	SPS - risk categorisations • Risk categorisation by commodity code for Non-EU goods	August 2023
3	SPS - Border Control Post designation details • Operational BCPs for the short straits	October 2023
4	SPS - West Coast checks • Precise date for the commencement of SPS checks for EU goods that enter Great Britain via West Coast ports	Autumn 2023
5	SPS - charging regime, covering: • Government owned Border Control Posts • Port health authority charges	December 2023 (BCPs) December 2023 to March 2024 (PHA charges)
6	SPS compliance approach	October 2023
7	SPS - further information on personal imports including those sent as post and parcels	October 2023
8	S&S - technical specification release for the reduced dataset • Includes guidance for CSP and 3PSW	April 2024
9	SPS - Marketing standards (further detail)	November 2023
10	SPS - Organic requirements (further detail)	August 2023
11	SPS - Re-exports (further information)	August 2023
12	SPS - Closure of PEACH front door to new users	September 2023
13	SPS - Mandating IPAFFS use over PEACH	June 2024
14	SPS - Driver Messaging requirements for SPS goods • Driver messaging release of guidance to hauliers, drivers over the solutions proposed in relation to imports (CDS/GVMS / ILS) and SPS CTC Transit (IPAFFS). • Release to industry for any required technical changes, Eurotunnel / Ferry screens.	April 2024
15	SPS - CHED for low risk goods, confirmation of data set	Prior to January 2024

Any references to Great Britain within the Safety and Security chapter of this document, include the three island territories off the coast of Great Britain which are Crown Dependencies. These are the Isle of Man; the Bailiwick of Jersey and the Bailiwick of Guernsey (which includes Alderney and Sark) ↩
Once the functionality becomes available, Transit Security Accompanying Documents will be required when transiting through Common Transit Countries countries which have opted into using them. For transit through countries who have not opted-in, the outbound transit waiver will remain. ↩
The date for the commencement of physical checks for non-qualifying goods moving from the island of Ireland will be confirmed in Autumn 2023. ↩
The date for the commencement of physical checks for non-qualifying goods moving from the island of Ireland will be confirmed in Autumn 2023. ↩
The date for the commencement of physical checks for non-qualifying goods moving from the island of Ireland will be confirmed in Autumn 2023. ↩
The date for the commencement of physical checks for non-qualifying goods moving from the island of Ireland will be confirmed in Autumn 2023. ↩
New Plan for Immigration Strategy Statement (July 2022) ↩

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1. Executive Summary

1.1 Background and context for this document

1.2 A new model for imports

1.3 Timeline for implementation

1.4 How this applies to Irish goods and Northern Ireland Qualifying Goods arriving from Ireland

2. Guide to this Document

2.1 Section 1: Border Target Operating Model for imports

2.2 Section 2: Movements from the Island of Ireland

2.3 Section 3: Border industry and port requirements

2.4 Section 4: Implementation timeline for the Border Target Operating Model

2.5 Section 5: Improving the border for exporters

2.6 Section 6: Changes to the passenger model

3. Section 1: Border Target Operating Model for Imports

4. 1.1. Overview of the new model

4.1 Summary of the new model for imports

Case Study: African Swine Fever and Border Controls

Figure 1: Summary of how the Border Target Operating Model will improve the import process

4.2 A cross-government approach to Trusted Trader authorisations

4.3 Benefits and costs of the Border Target Operating Model

Benefits of the new model

Figure 2: Proposed model for delivering a cross-government approach to trusted trader authorisations through the UK Single Trade Window

Costs of the new model

5. 1.2. The new Safety and Security model

5.1 Background

5.2 How we have responded to stakeholder feedback

5.3 Ending the waiver for Safety and Security declarations for EU imports

5.4 Developing the new regime

5.5 Detail of the changes within the new model for Safety and Security

Reduction of the Safety and Security data set

5.6 Improvements to the way Safety and Security data is provided

Liability

Data Provision

5.7 Improving the use of data by the UK government to remove duplication

5.8 Removing Safety and Security requirements for low risk export movements

5.9 Fast Parcel Operators

5.10 Safety and security declaration amendment process

6. 1.3. The new Sanitary and Phytosanitary goods model for Great Britain

6.1 Background

6.2 How we have responded to stakeholder feedback

6.3 Overview of the model for Sanitary and Phytosanitary goods

6.4 Food Security

6.5 Navigating this section of the document

6.6 Importing Live Animals, Products of Animal Origin and Animal By-Products under the Border Target Operating Model

Risk categorisation

Controls that will be applied to live animals, germinal and animal products based on their risk categorisation

Figure 3: Percentage of checks per risk category

Border Checks for Live Animals

Border Checks for Animal Products

Governance

Import of samples

Personal imports, including luggage, post and parcels

Trusted Trader approach for animal products

6.7 Summary of the Accredited Trusted Trader Scheme for animal products

January 2024 – Certification Logistics Pilot

April 2024 – Checks Away From Border Pilot

Further ATTS Modules

Evaluation Approach

6.8 High Risk Food and Feed of Non-Animal Origin (HRFNAO)

6.9 Importing Plants and Plant Products under the Border Target Operating Model

Risk categorisation

Controls that will be applied to Plants and Plant Products

Figure 4: Rate of checks under the Border Target Operating Model compared to the current EU regime Checks for Plants and Plant Products

Governance

Personal imports, including luggage, post and parcels

Delegated Authority Approach for Plants - Authorised Operator Status

6.10 Summary of the Authorised Operator Status (AOS) scheme for the import of Plants and Plant Products

Conflict of Interest

Compliance

Pilot Design and timelines

Interactions With Other Assurance Schemes

Enforcement and Penalties for Non-Compliance

6.11 Simplification and Digitisation of Health Certificates

Timeline for Implementing the new Sanitary and Phytosanitary model

6.12 Supporting different business models for importing groupage loads of Sanitary and Phytosanitary goods

Groupage of animal products

Groupage of animal products: Simplified operational models

Groupage of animal products: Streamlined certification and use of schedules to facilitate groupage

Groupage of animal products: Enhancing Flexibility for Notifiers

Groupage of animal products: specific Trusted Trader pilots