Deal or no deal, the volume of customs clearances required will increase dramatically when the UK leaves the EU. In the case of no deal, the increase is predicted to be around 400%. Meanwhile it has been acknowledged for some time within the Customs Agent sector that there is an existing shortage of people with the skills and experience to complete customs declarations on behalf of clients.
In response, and in an effort to address the issue, the Government has earmarked a pot of money for funding grants. Businesses can apply for grants for funding to cover Recruitment, Training and the cost of IT improvements. The latter can also be used to purchase ‘badges’ for ports of entry, thereby giving access to Community Service Providers (CSPs) such as Destin8 and CNS Compass.
For further information on the scheme please visit the Government guidance pages here
Remember these are grants being offered, not loans, so we actively encourage all companies involved in International Trade to review their arrangements for post-Brexit customs clearances and then apply for funding where appropriate. VARTAN can help by providing you with a staff training quote to support your application and then visit you on-site to undertake this training.
For further guidance on customs clearances, VARTAN’s Customs Training and Brexit planning in general, please contact us.