Some important advice from John O'Loughlin of @PwC ahead of January 1 2021 during a webcast alongside @GavinBarwell@carinbryans and @mcgeedavid. Basically any Irish companies which export to the UK or import from the UK should know the following:
2/ "At a minimum you need a EORI number, the equivalent of a VAT number, you need that to lodge a customs declaration. The people that lodge a customs declaration aren’t the company themselves nor is it someone like PWC, but it’s a customs agent...
3/ "They file and prepare the documentation..., you need to engage the services of a customs broker, have a mechanism to pay the customs duty and the right information and documentation to support tthe importation of those goods.
4/ "Without those steps in place in very simple terms goods don’t move. They’re going to be stuck at the border, depending on which side of the border you’re on, whether you’re importing into Ireland or exporting to the UK...
5/ "...goods are going to remain stuck and you’re not effectively in business at that stage."
Contracts: "Who is responsible in a supply chain for import and export activities...? Dont’ make assumptions, don’t assume your customer or supplier will take that risk.
6/ "We’re seeing problems arise now on VAT, particularly for non established companies, so that might be an Irish company looking to import into the UK or a UK company looking to import into Ireland. That is raising a significant amount of challenges."
7/ Finally, beware the rules of origin, even if the EU/UK conclude an FTA.
"The FTA will eliminate duties for goods moving to + from the UK + EU but it’s conditional on those goods originating. They have to be manufactured in the EU to get duty free access in the UK + vice versa
8/ "A lot of the goods we import are just in time and come through a UK warehouse. Clothing, furnishings, toys. They move from the Far East, through the UK and into Ireland. In that instance an FTA is irrelevant.
9/ "They are Chinese or Vietnamese originating and duty will apply. In that supply chain, not only one duty but possibly a double duty. That’s where customs planning kicks in."
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Response from European Commission spokes @DanielFerrie to the joint letter from @DUPleader and @moneillsf on food consignments to NI supermarkets under the NI Protocol:
2/ “We can confirm receipt of a letter from the First Minister and Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland on the issue of agri-food goods brought into Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK. We will reply to this letter shortly.
3/ “The Withdrawal Agreement’s Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland prevents the return of a hard border on the island of Ireland. It protects peace, stability and prosperity, North-South cooperation and the integrity of the EU Single Market.
Breaking: The DUP and Sinn Fein leaders have sent a joint letter to the European Commission describing as “unacceptable” the alleged threat to the continuity of existing food supplies to Northern supermarkets once the Northern Ireland Protocol takes effect.
2/ The letter, seen by @rtenews, and signed by @DUPleader and @moneillsf, highlights the problem of the need for checks and controls on food products entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain from January 1 and how that might impact on the supply of food to supermarket chains.
3/ The First/Dep First Ministers write: “It is hard to imagine a more fundamental aspect of everyday life than the purchase of daily food supplies...
Here is the rough transcript and story of @realDonaldTrump's NI envoy, his meeting with @simoncoveney and the alleged threat of the EU using aviation as leverage over the UK if the Internal Market Bill led to a hard border on the island of Ireland.
2/ Mr Mulvaney was talking to the @iiea via video link.
Asked about the concerns in the US over the IMB, which breaches the NI Protocol, Mr Mulvaney said that in his meetings with all sides his worry was that the Bill could result in a border “by accident”.
3/ He told the presentation: “The best response I got on the matter was from Simon Coveney when I met with him in Dublin.
New: @MichelBarnier has given a "very downbeat" briefing to EU ambassadors on the state of play in the Brexit negotiations, @rtenews understands
2/ While there has been good progress on police and judicial cooperation, there has been no progress at all on the level playing field, fisheries and governance.
3/ In some of these areas Mr Barnier told diplomats that the UK had gone backwards on earlier understandings, such as the idea of a robust independent competition authority in the UK
Some compelling evidence at the NI Affairs Committee this morning on Brexit, the risks of smuggling, organised crime, the "soft underbelly" of the Irish border, the loss of the European Arrest Warrant and what might replace it
2/ Giving evidence were Simon Byrne, chief constable of the PSNI, Mark McEwan, assistant chief constable, Steve Rodhouse, of the UK National Crime Agency, and Steve Tracey, of HMRC. Here's the gist of what I've just filed for @rtenews online:
3/ A UK law officer has raised the prospect of intl organised criminals trafficking drugs, people + firearms into the UK via Ireland because of tighter controls at GB ports thanks to Brexit. He also suggested that Ireland may have to tighten security at its ports accordingly.
EU officials have downplayed reports of a breakthrough on fisheries in the Brexit negotiations.
"We have not yet found a solution on fisheries," said Dan Ferrie, a spokesman for Michel Barnier, the EU's chief negotiator.
2/ "We are working for a stable, sustainable and long term agreement on fisheries, enabling the UK to further develop its fishing activities while ensuring the sustainable use of resources and protecting the fishing opportunities of European fishermen and women."
3/ This week Bloomberg reported that UK and EU were close to an agreement on fisheries. The report said a compromise was emerging whereby the quotas would be set according to "zonal attachment", and decisions on what quotas EU fleets cd catch wd be deferred until a later date.