London : The UK has excluded trade in goods between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland from new simplified customs procedures on EU imports in the event of a hard Brexit.
In preparation for a “no deal” UK exit from the EU, HM Revenue and Customs has unveiled measures to help British importers bringing EU goods into the UK from continental Europe by reducing the amount of information they must provide and to delay the payment of duties.
The temporary simplified procedures are intended to make it easier for UK companies bringing goods into the UK from the EU on lorries through locations such as Dover and the Channel Tunnel.
The procedures are designed to minimise queues at key UK transit ports in a “crash-out” Brexit.
While uncertainty surrounds the treatment of trade across the Border, the move is highly significant for Irish exporters to Britain, according to Carol Lynch, a partner at BDO in Dublin.
The simplified procedure would allow Irish exporters who are VAT-registered and established in the UK to import goods and defer making a full declaration and defer customs duties until the month following import . This would simplify a lot of requirements for Irish exporters to Britain , she said.
