Understanding the new UK / EU Rules of Origin and the associated Product Tariffs

Rules of origin are the criteria needed to determine the national source of a product. Their importance is derived from the fact that duties and restrictions in several cases depend upon the source of imports. There is wide variation in the practice of governments with regard to the rules of origin and since the UK’s departure from the EU, the whole subject has become a serious headache for many BFPA members and indeed their trading partners. This situation has become all the more complicated by the variations in Commodity codes which classify goods for import and export so traders can both fill in declarations and check if there is duty or VAT to pay. The situation is complex and has been the topic of numerous member queries over the past six months.

Whether you are a manufacturer or a distributor, it is imperative that BFPA members understand these new rules and know how to apply them to their own products or more significantly, those being supplied to them from other countries – EU or otherwise. There are also key issues to address in how much ‘added value’ a company adds to a given product or system before it is then passed on to another destination and the situation with Northern Ireland has only exacerbated this situation! This is why we have responded to member requests for a dedicated webinar on this subject. In doing so we have joined forces with expert Government colleagues through BEIS and a specialist Customs Consultancy, Harman Customs Ltd. The two presentations will be followed by an open Q&A session at which members can table their specific queries.

Speakers include:

Amy Brooks, Trade and Investment Negotiations at BEIS
James O’Neill, Director at Harman Customs

Who should attend:

Any director, manager or member of staff involved in managing the import or export of products, tariffs, VAT, customs paperwork or shipping!