Following post-Brexit delays of over two years, the UK has announced its intention to introduce a lighter set of customs rules for goods from the EU later this year.

In a proposal published on Wednesday 5 April, the UK government said the new regime would introduce a trusted trading system called the UK Single Trade Window, a single digital gateway aimed at reducing bureaucratic requirements for regular importers and exporters.

The new import controls will be introduced in three phases between November 2023 and November 2024.

Export health certificates and phytosanitary certificates for certain animal and plant products will be required from November 2023, while full document checks and physical and identity checks at the border will be introduced from February next year.

The introduction of the Advance Security Statement (ASS) with the Safety and Security GB Service for goods imported into the UK from the EU is delayed until the end of 2023. It was due to apply from 1ᵉʳ July 2022

Other provisions include the removal of safety and security requirements for certain goods from free ports, for outbound transit and for fish originating in UK waters and landed in non-UK ports.
The Trade and Cooperation Agreement, which governs post-Brexit trade between the EU and the UK, ended the free movement of goods when it came into force in 2021. However, while the EU introduced customs controls on goods from the UK at the end of the post-Brexit transition period in January 2021, the UK government has repeatedly delayed introducing its own controls on goods from the EU.

A proposal for business consultation also includes support for food businesses to help them adapt their operations and supply chains.

UK Customs is currently encouraging its traders to accelerate the changeover from the current Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight (CHIEF) system to the new Customs Declaration Service (CDS) platform, which will be permanently and exclusively in place from 31 March 2023.