The Road Haulage Association (RHA) has announced the launch of a Customs Brokerage Service to help hauliers cope with new customs requirements at the end of the Brexit transition period on 1 January, 2021.

The new service will initially focus on Ro-Ro traffic and will be electronically connected to all 26 major UK ports to ensure that Ro-Ro declarations can be completed in a way that suits operators and traders.

HMRC estimates that the current 50m annual transactions will increase to well over 200m, including the 20m needed to service the Irish protocol. Thousands of extra customs brokers will be needed to meet the demand, but suitable candidates need to be recruited and trained in a very short time.

RHA Chief Executive Richard Burnett said, “The focus for the thousands of hauliers and traders that currently move goods between GB and the EU is not on a ‘deal’ -  it’s on how cross-EU border traffic will cope with the added processes - not least the added paperwork. That’s why we are pleased to announce the launch of the RHA Customs Brokerage Service.”

“It’s all about taking the risk, the time demands and the general headache out of the new declarations process.  The RHA Customs Brokerage Service will provide full support for RHA members, businesses, clients, and traders by ensuring they can keep goods moving while staying compliant in these challenging and unprecedented times.”

Photo: Richard Burnett