As the Transition period has now ended, businesses involved in international trade need to be ready for new customs arrangements. Guidance on import licences and export licences for 2021 has also been updated. 

Four steps for importers and exporters to take now:

• Ensure your company is registered for both imports and exports. Get an EORI number to move goods between the UK and the EU.  
• Make sure the classification of your goods (tariff/commodity code) are correct. Use the Trade Tariff to look up commodity codes, duty and VAT rates. Ask HMRC for help to classifying your goods or find out how to get a legally binding decision on the commodity code to use for your goods. 
• Be ready for the new customs paperwork. You will need import and export customs declarations for the movement of goods from 1 January 2021. A £50 million MRC fund available to enhance its Customs Grant Scheme. You can apply for funding to reimburse a number of costs associated with increasing capacity and enhancing ability to complete customs declarations ahead of the new rules. 
• Check the new UK tariff for imported goods. From 1 January 2021, the UK will apply a UK-specific tariff to imported goods. This UK Global Tariff (UKGT) will replace the EU’s Common External Tariff, which ends on 31 December 2020. Check UK trade tariffs from 1 January 2021. 

To support business preparations the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is hosting free webinars to help you check the new rules and understand the actions to take. Following the live events, the webinars are available to watch on demand. 

These webinars are tailored to different sectors, including:

• life sciences
• aerospace
• construction
• consumer goods 
• metals and other materials 
• retail
• automotive
• electronics and materials

Register or watch on demand here

For latest updates on webinars for businesses visit gov.uk  

DEFRA has shared updated guidance for importing and exporting the following: 

Importing animals, animal products and high-risk feed and food not of animal origin  

Exporting live animals and animal products to the EU 

Export groups of products of animal origin to the EU from 1 January 2021  

Importing and exporting plans and plant products from 1 January 2021  

Importing and exporting wine from 1 January 2021  

DEFRA has also released updated guidance on labelling and marketing standards for:

Trading and labelling organic food 

Fresh fruit and vegetable marketing  

Beef and veal marketing standards  

Poultry meat marketing standards  

Egg marketing standards  

Hops and hops products marketing standards  

HMRC has published guidance on applying for grants for recruitment, training and IT improvements if businesses complete customs declarations. In addition, the following information has been updated:

List of customs agents and fast parcel operators   

Draft and final notices to be made under the Customs Regulations 

The Northern Ireland Protocol came into force from 1 January 2021. The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy has issued guidance on using the new UKNI conformity marking required when placing goods on the market in Northern Ireland. 

Updated 19 November

Letters from the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy have been sent to UK businesses about the specific actions their sectors need to take from 1 January 2021.

Click on the links below to read the sector-specific guidance:

Advanced manufacturing sector

Agri-food and biosecurity sector

Consumer goods sector

Metals and other materials sector

Life sciences sector

Chemicals sector

Retail sector

Professional and business services sector

Construction sector

Letter to businesses

From 1 January 2021 there will be changes to how the Intellectual Property (IP) system and the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) will operate. These changes will affect:

• Trade Marks and Designs
• Parallel trade from the UK to the EEA
• Unregistered Designs

Find information about the key changes here: Intellectual Property after 1 January 2021

Help is available to ensure your business is ready:

• Consider carefully where to disclose your designs to ensure they have adequate protection in their most important market. 
• If you export IP-protected goods on the secondary or parallel market, contact the rights holder in the EEA to see if you have permission to continue to parallel export.
• Consider if you want exports to continue if you are a business that owns the IP rights for goods currently parallel exported from the UK to the EEA.

The Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) fee structure has also changed and a new fee structure for PCT applications is in effect from 1 January 2021. Find out more about the changes here.

If you do not take action, there is a risk your business operations will be interrupted. You can find out what other actions you may need to take by using the checker tool at gov.uk/transition and signing up for the Government’s business readiness updates.