There have recently been lots of changes to customs procedures for transporting goods, particularly in regards to Transit between UK and EU countries. Here are three common mistakes, which HMRC would like to highlight and how to prevent them to avoid delays.

1. LRNs

If all of the consignments that are being transported across the border are under one transit declaration, then only one LRN (Local Reference Number) is needed. However if multiple consignments are being transported under separate transit declarations then you will need to have LRNs for each declaration.

Currently, some drivers haven’t realised that they may be required to present multiple LRNs and have found themselves being held at transit offices once they have reached the EU. The HMRC are launching a campaign to help inform drivers about their LRNs in order to help prevent this mistake from continuing to happen.

2. Office of Transit

When filling out a transit declaration, the Office of Transit field (Box 51 of the C88) has been filled out incorrectly by multiple traders, which has caused issues at the border and has led to goods being held. When declaring the Office of Transit, it is crucial that you include every Office of Transit en route to your final destination. When entering multiple customs territories it is essential that you list every single port of entry to avoid your goods being held, thus preventing you from completing your journey.

3. Export Accompanying Documents

The HMRC has noted that one issue that has been affecting transit is that some traders are using the MRN (Movement Reference Number) from their Export Accompanying Documents instead of the MRNs from their Transit Accompanying Documents. This has resulted in some goods being held at port. This can cause huge issues in the supply chain and may stop you from completing your journey. It is really important that you include the correct MRNs for the GMR that you are submitting.

Keep an eye on our blog for more information about the new customs procedures and how they may affect you.