The new Union Customs Code (UCC), just six months away from coming into operation, will have a profound effect on the European Union’s imports and exports, warns TIACA secretary general Doug Brittin.
Traders will have to give financial guarantees when they use temporary storage, unless they obtain a specific waiver, "and it currently appears that the appropriate systems will not be in place to provide, handle, and maintain those authorizations," according to Brittin.
"It looks as if it will be virtually impossible to apply for a new guarantee or a waiver in time."
He said that discussions between EU member states, the trade (including TIACA) and the European Commission are still ongoing to resolve the situation.
With these and other fine details still under discussion, and with the UCC due to come into force in May 2016, many shippers and forwarders, especially smaller operators, are still unsure what impact the new regulations will have.
The commission has produced an EU Customs Competency Framework and, despite the best efforts of Customs authorities to keep the trading community up to date, EU member states will not be ready to implement the entire from next May, so transitional regulations will apply.
