JK Rowling once said, "Never trust anything that can think for itself, if you can't see where it keeps its brain." Apply that to International Trade and you could be led to thinking that she was referring to Export Controls, specifically Dual-Use products. Imagine exporting the 'Philosophers Stone' and as an exporter you hadn't done your due diligence to check the end use, or whether it needed a licence. It would be the ECJU you would be running from on Halloween and not Frankenstein's monster!

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S&H News: A warm welcome to Sam Slater - Head of Learning & Development and Jawad Ikhlaq - Marketing & Client Services Assistant. Two new roles within Strong & Herd, as we grow and develop our International Trade Team!
Say hello on LinkedIn.  👋 Sam Slater & Jawad Ikhlaq 

A Spotlight On: Reasons for a Customs Audit International Traders must consider their responsibilities to HMRC and aim for 100% Customs Compliance. Any information declared could be subject to audit by HMRC. 

When Did you Register to Use that OGEL? Back in 2019, the UK government withdrew Saudi Arabia from 26 Open General Export Licences (OGELs), due to Saudi's involvement in the Yemen war. Anyone already registered could carry on using the pre–December 2019 OGELs but new registrants had to use the parallel OGELs that didn't have Saudi Arabia as a permitted destination. On September 30th 2022, the Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU) issued a statement to confirm that Saudi Arabia will be reinstated to these OGELs.

HMRC Extend the Trader Support Service (TSS) until the end of December 2023 On October 3rd 2022, HMRC announced that the Trader Support Service (TSS) has been extended until the end of December 2023, to provide ongoing support to businesses moving goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Export Controls on Luxury Goods Export Controls have always existed, but the types of goods and the controls in place have evolved, meaning further considerations in order for the seller to be trade compliant.     

PEACH to IPAFFS Update In a recent notice from DEFRA (The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs), they are delaying the transition for traders who operate the PEACH system over to IPAFFS (Import of Products, Animal, Food and Feed System) for the pre-notification requirements.
 

European Commission issue 2023 Combined Nomenclature National endings to the Harmonised System Codes - Commodity Codes - are assessed every 12 months in the EU and the UK. On 31st October 2022, the European Commission issued the list of 8-digit Commodity Codes that will come into force on January 1st 2023.