GOODS VEHICLE MOVEMENT SERVICE (GVMS)
WHAT IS THE GVMS SYSTEM?
The Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS), launched 1st January 2021 is a UK Government IT Platform for moving Goods into or out of Northern Ireland and Great Britain. However, as of the 1st January 2022 it will be in place , it’s important to know it’s only available at certain Ports.
WHICH UK PORTS USE GVMS?
The Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS) is only active at certain UK Ports. To find out which border locations use the GVMS, take a look at HMRC’s official list of GVMS Ports.
A GOODS MOVEMENT RECORD (GMR) IS NEEDED
It has been introduced to speed up the clearance of goods, linking Movement Reference Numbers (MRN) for all pre-lodged customs declarations to a single Goods Movement Record (GMR), specifying the truck or trailer license plate and details of that crossing. The GMR has to be presented to the Carrier at the frontier.
HMRC is warning hauliers to not approach the Port without a GMR number, which will rely on them having the customs declarations in advance of embarkation.
NEED HELP CREATING A GMR?
WHAT ARE YOUR OPTIONS TO MOVE GOODS ACROSS THE BORDER?
To satisfy customs requirements, there are several ways to move goods across the border. Three of the most relevant are Temporary Storage, Pre-Lodgement and Common Transit.
1. TEMPORARY STORAGE
Temporary Storage is the traditional model operated by what is termed Inventory Linked Ports, such as Felixstowe and Tilbury, where goods can be stored up to 90 days before the clearance. However, Imports will now need to be cleared before release from the UK arrival port. Carriers will no longer have the option to choose clearance by Deferred Declaration and gain automatic freight release as is the case today.
2. PRE-LODGEMENT
Pre-Lodgement is the model adopted by non-inventory linked Ro-Ro Ports, by far the busiest being Dover and Folkestone. Under pre-lodgement, customs clearances must be completed and entered onto the UK’s new Goods Vehicle Movement System (GVMS), before being allowed to board the ferry. This is critical for Importers! Transport companies and Agents will have to ensure that the Import Declaration is completed before loading the vehicle. If this does not take place, the driver may face delays at the Port waiting for an Import Customs Declaration and the Importer could face delivery delays.
3. COMMON TRANSIT
Common Transit allows suppliers to send goods to the UK, by-passing the frontier and clearing them at a location inside Great Britain. This is most commonly used by Groupage Operators who consolidate goods in the EU then ship them to their GB Bonded Warehouse (ETSF) under a Transit Document, goods are then unloaded for clearance before release. As with Temporary Storage, the ETSF will no longer be allowed to release goods via Deferred Declarations.
BE PREPARED – APPOINT A CUSTOMS AGENT
How are you going to submit your customs declarations? How are you going to pay duties due? Your best option is to appoint an intermediary customs agent, such as AMCO. We’ll deal with your customs declarations on your behalf. We offer customs clearance 24/7 and we have staffing in place to process your declarations efficiently.
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