SPE15230 - Losses in warehouse: loss of goods entitled to claim a tariff preference

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If the loss (under SPE15210 and SPE15215) involves goods entitled to a preferential rate of duty, and a valid tariff preference document is held the debt may in certain circumstances, be calculated at the preferential rate rather than the full rate of duty. (These circumstances will in most cases have a very limited application.)

The warehouse keeper must be able to provide adequate evidence that the tariff preference certificate held relates to the goods that have been lost. A possible example of adequate evidence would be where serial numbers, quoted on the tariff preference document can be tied, through an audit trail, to the goods that have been lost or gone missing. The warehouse keeper must also be able to demonstrate that it was not negligence on their part that led to the loss.

Note: Northern Ireland (NI) customs authorisations will continue to fall within the provisions of the Union Customs Code (UCC), as retained by the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 and CEMA 1979.