SGS TransitNet Marks 20 Years of Revolutionizing Customs Transit Solutions

This year, SGS TransitNet proudly celebrates its 20th anniversary, marking two decades of delivering innovative, reliable, and universal customs transit guarantee services to transporters, brokers, freight forwarders, and logistics professionals worldwide. Since its inception, TransitNet has transformed the way businesses navigate complex customs processes, providing a seamless, secure, and efficient solution for transit declarations across 40 countries.

As a multimodal, web-based platform, TransitNet empowers clients by acting as the Holder of the Procedure (HoP) on their behalf, enabling them to create and submit transit declarations with financial guarantees to customs systems where SGS operates. Connected to major customs networks, including NCTS in countries such as the UK, Turkey, Switzerland, and Romania, TransitNet ensures real-time monitoring and tracking of declarations until completion. Its multilingual interface and user-friendly design make it accessible to a global audience, streamlining operations for businesses of all sizes.

Over the past 20 years, TransitNet has continuously evolved to meet the dynamic needs of its clients. From expanding its network to enhancing platform security and functionality, SGS remains committed to staying at the forefront of the logistics and customs industry. This milestone is a testament to the trust placed in us by our clients and partners, whose collaboration has driven our success.

As we celebrate this significant achievement, we look forward to continuing our mission of simplifying customs processes and supporting global trade. Thank you to our clients, partners, and team for being part of this incredible journey. Here’s to the next 20 years of innovation and excellence!

New Import Rules for Animals and Animal Products Set to Enforce Stringent Standards from January 31, 2024

In a significant development that will reshape international trade practices, new import rules for animals and animal products come into force from January 31, 2024. These rules mark a decisive shift in global trade regulations, prioritizing the welfare of animals and reinforcing biosecurity measures. Let’s delve into the details of these forthcoming changes and their implications for global commerce.

International accord on stricter regulations

As the world confronts mounting concerns over animal welfare and the transmission of infectious diseases, the introduction of these new import rules signifies a global consensus on implementing stricter standards. The primary objective is to harmonize international trade while upholding the health and welfare of animals.

What is the new regulation?

• Simplified export health certificates and phytosanitary certificates for medium risk animal products and phytosanitary goods imported from the EU
• Begin sample documentary checks on medium risk goods from the EU, but there will be no new routine controls undertaken on these goods at the border, so initially there will be no charges for documentary checks or holds for inspection
• The removal of pre notification requirements for low risk plant and plant products from the EU
• Introduce pre-notification requirements for EU sanitary and phytosanitary goods that enter Great Britain via West Coast port
• The introduction of health certification on imports from the EU of high risk food and feed of non-animal origin
• The introduction of new checks and controls when moving Irish goods (i.e. any goods other than qualifying Northern Irish goods) from Irish ports directly to Great Britain

Impact on global trade

The implementation of these new import rules marks a profound shift in international trade dynamics. While challenges are expected, such as increased administrative requirements and potential delays, the regulations also present opportunities for nations to underscore their commitment to animal welfare, biosecurity and international collaboration.

For businesses involved in the trade of animals and animal products, adherence to these regulations is imperative to maintain access to global markets. The new rules underline the importance of robust quality control systems, comprehensive record-keeping and a deep understanding of biosecurity principles.

What lies ahead?

Governments, businesses and international organizations are working in tandem to introduce and adapt to these new import rules. The overarching objective is to strike a balance between facilitating international trade and safeguarding animal health and welfare.

The regulation is to drive progress in animal welfare, biosecurity and the overall safety of animal products in the realm of global trade. While they may present short-term challenges, they represent a positive shift towards a more sustainable and responsible approach to international trade in animals and animal products.

With the onset of these regulations, the world eagerly anticipates the way in which they will shape the future of global trade, ensuring a higher standard of care for animals and bolstered biosecurity for all.

How can SGS help?

In an increasingly globalized economy, customs brokerage services are a valuable asset for businesses engaged in international trade. Our professionals simplify the complexities of customs compliance, documentation and regulatory changes, allowing companies to focus on their core operations and expand their global reach. SGS e-Customs can register your shipments in import of products, animals, food and feed system (IPAFFS) as part of our comprehensive customs services. Whether you are a seasoned international trader or a business exploring new global markets, partnering with SGS can be a strategic move to streamline your operations, enhance compliance and ultimately boost your competitiveness in the world of international commerce.

Charting the Future: Mastering UK Import-Export Dynamics for Manufactured Goods

As the United Kingdom charts its course post-Brexit, businesses engaged in the import and export of manufactured goods find themselves at the forefront of a new era. The landscape has shifted, regulations have transformed, and opportunities await those agile enough to adapt. In this dynamic environment, companies must navigate challenges and capitalize on emerging prospects to ensure the seamless flow of goods across borders.

New regulatory framework

The post-Brexit era has ushered in a revised regulatory framework, requiring businesses to adhere to a new set of rules governing the import and export of manufactured goods. Navigating customs procedures, tariffs, and compliance standards demands a heightened level of diligence and familiarity with the intricacies of the updated regulations.

Customs declarations and documentation

One of the most significant changes is the requirement for customs declarations and additional documentation. Businesses involved in the manufacturing sector must ensure that they have the necessary paperwork to facilitate the smooth passage of goods through customs. Delays caused by incomplete or inaccurate documentation can have profound implications on supply chain efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Tariffs and trade agreements

The evolution of the UK’s trading relationship with the European Union (EU) and other nations has introduced changes to tariff structures. Understanding the implications of these tariffs and capitalizing on any new trade agreements is crucial for businesses seeking to optimize their cost structures and maintain competitiveness in the global marketplace.

Supply chain resilience

The redefined relationship between the UK and the EU has prompted businesses to reevaluate and fortify their supply chain strategies. Emphasis on supply chain resilience, diversification, and contingency planning has become paramount. Companies are exploring alternative sourcing options and distribution channels to mitigate risks associated with potential disruptions.

Technology as a catalyst

Amid challenges, technology emerges as a powerful catalyst for efficiency. Businesses are increasingly turning to digital solutions to streamline customs processes, enhance visibility across the supply chain, and ensure compliance. Leveraging technology not only facilitates smoother operations but also provides a competitive edge in the rapidly evolving landscape.

Strategic partnerships and expert guidance

Given the complexity of post-Brexit trade dynamics, forming strategic partnerships and seeking expert guidance is becoming a hallmark of successful businesses. Collaborating with logistics providers, customs brokers, and consultants with a deep understanding of the new regulatory environment can offer invaluable support in navigating challenges and maximizing opportunities.

As the UK forges its path forward, businesses engaged in the import and export of manufactured goods stand at the crossroads of change. Navigating this terrain requires adaptability, a keen understanding of regulatory nuances, and a commitment to leveraging technology and strategic partnerships for success in the post-Brexit landscapes.

How can SGS help?

With a global network, including customs operations across Europe and beyond, SGS is already working with hundreds of businesses within the sector. We are helping thousands of companies with customs services, including software, brokerage and transit, to facilitate trade throughout Europe and beyond.

As a neutral partner, not involved in transportation directly, SGS is focused on ensuring our clients’ goods move seamlessly through border locations. To help ease the pressures of customs compliance, SGS also offers a one-stop-shop of international trade solutions, supported with in-house software that can help make your customs declarations simpler and provide visibility and control.

SGS TransitNet “Most Successful Logistics Support Services Brand of the Year”

Our platform SGS TRANSİTNET recently enjoyed more significant success by being selected as the “Most Successful Logistics Support Services Brand of the Year” at the Turkey Innovation and Success Awards!

TransitNet is currently connected to 25 different customs systems and it is the only service in Turkey that uses its own guarantee. TransitNet was appreciated for its high-level service and recognised as a huge facilitator for trade between Turkey and Europe by serving more than 700 Turkish companies with a safe, licensed and fast service.

General Manager Mine Kaya, who received the award on behalf of SGS TransitNet at the ceremony stated; “First of all, we are very happy to be worthy of such a meaningful award. I would like to thank everyone who contributed. I am receiving this award on behalf of 65 amazing teammates. SGS TransitNet has always brought innovation to the logistics and international transportation sector and will continue to bring the best.”

Congratulations to our Turkish colleagues, this is the third year in a row TransitNet, and our Turkish team has been prized.

SGS announces new e-Customs partnership with Eurotunnel

SGS are pleased to announce the recent partnership with Eurotunnel to ensure that customers using SGS TransitNet can be ‘green-routed’ upon entry to France.

The UK Landbridge is a vital access route for companies who export and import between Ireland and continental Europe and remains the most efficient route. SGS and Eurotunnel have come together to create a ‘UK Landbridge Package’ which seeks to provide an easy solution for companies looking to use the UK Landbridge.

Exporters, transporters and importers can relax in the knowledge that SGS and Eurotunnel can provide a full range of services to cover the journey and ensure that the goods reach their destination without delay. On-site customer support is also available 24 hours a day and 7 days a week at Eurotunnel.

The UK Landbridge is especially important for companies involved in the movement of fish, meat and any goods that are subject to sanitary or phytosanitary control. It is vital for these companies that these goods reach their destination as quickly as possible. Any delay to the delivery for these types of goods can have a damaging effect on the quality of the product. The ‘UK Landbridge Package’ provides all the necessary customs declarations and entries, while at the same time offers companies peace of mind that the procedures for their shipments will be handled correctly, so that their journey can be made as smoothly as possible.

The UK Landbridge remains the most efficient way of transporting goods between the island of Ireland and continental Europe. There are 12 sailings per day between Ireland and Great Britain and a departure every ten minutes between Great Britain and France Eurotunnel.

SGS are delighted to be partnering with Eurotunnel to provide this unique service to SGS TransitNet users, Eurotunnel pride themselves on providing a high quality service for helping traders move their goods throughout Europe 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Whether it’s a one-off trip or part of a larger, more frequent freight delivery, managing your bookings couldn’t be simpler. With easy to access terminals, up to six departures per hour and an average crossing time of only 35 minutes via the Channel Tunnel, the complexity has been well and truly removed.

Additionally, the Eurotunnel Border Pass shares information needed for border crossings between the transporter and Eurotunnel and between Eurotunnel and the border authorities thus ensuring that the authorities are ready for the arrival of a particular shipment and all the necessary documentation is in place. It is secure and digitized without the need for the driver to leave the vehicle or present any documents on arrival at the border.

To find out how you can avail of this service contact transitnet.ireland@sgs.com today.

SGS e-Customs launches Export services in Ireland

SGS e-Customs are delighted to announce that we have grown our customs services with the introduction of export services from Ireland. The service was launched on the 14th June 2021.

Brexit has considerably increased the demand for export, import and transit declarations on the island of Ireland. From Ireland, SGS has been successfully offering a complex transit service including transit with guarantee, entries into GVMS and entries into both the French and Irish ICS systems since the 1st of January 2021.

The addition of export declarations to our SGS’ e-Customs offer from Ireland is another step in our goal to offer a comprehensive customs service from Ireland.

SGS TransitNet offers our clients a unique service in combining the submission of an export declaration plus a transit declaration for a discounted fee. Export + Transit is currently needed for movements of goods from Ireland which will finish in a third country, for example anywhere outside the EU including Great Britain, Turkey, Switzerland, Serbia and Russia. Transit to Great Britain can also be a great way to ensure that your goods are not delayed at the exit and entry ports of Ireland and Great Britain and that the truck can freely move through the ports closer to the actual destination of the goods.

SGS is also able to offer import services in the UK to offer the full range of services necessary for the flow of goods between Ireland and Great Britain.

For more information on export declarations from Ireland and for the range of services that SGS e-Customs offer, please contact your local client centre or use the contact form to get in touch.

Port of Sète

SGS opens brand new support office

SGS are pleased to announce that we have added a new location to offer customs services to our valued clients. Our new office will open at Sète Port in France on 14.06.2021. Our new office operates under the full simplified procedure as authorised by Sète customs and we shall provide a full range of customs service as other brokers at Sète, but of course with the very highest quality and standards of SGS TransitNet. Our office is located in the port area and it is a single storey prefabricated building just opposite the TIR Park, which is 100 meters ahead of the East Gate (PEYRADE) where the trucks enter. The exact address of our new office at Sète and contact details are as below.

Our office is ready to provide all of the following services to our valued customers in a fast, efficient and cost-effective manner.

Our service details as listed below;

• Preparing-closing EX documents
• Preparing-closing T1-T2 documents
• Border exiting for T1-T2 declarations and port entering process
• Preparing TIR Carnet-ATA Carnet
• Import/registration process in Sète port
• Health certificate process
• Complete customs formality for trucksunder customs control

Address

Bat. ex arbora
Route de pontmartin
Zone portuaire de Sète
34200 – Sète – FRANCE

For more details on the range of customs services SGS can provide at Sète please do not hesitate to contact us;

Phone: +33 7 86 75 01 33

Mail: transitnet.sete@sgs.com

Killingholme – opening transits with Stena Line

Due to a large volume of requests from traders wishing to open transit declarations from Killingholme, Stena Line have now introduced the possibility to ship cargo under a transit document which will be processed between Stena Line and UK Border Force.
This new service has been available since the 24th May 2021.

Process

When completing the ferry booking and entering the ENS details, users should ensure that the LRN number of the transit declaration is added.

Exit Killingholme – Driver accompanied

Monday to Friday 15:00 – 20:00h:  Attention, no entrance to the terminal for transit cargo without transit declaration outside this timeframe.

From the 24^th May 2021, a border office post will be available just outside the ferry terminal from Monday to Friday 15:00 – 20:00h to exchange the LRN to T1 MRN before check in.

During the weekend, Stena Line have created the possibility to check in to the terminal (as “waiting check in”) and CroPorts will support with the change from LRN to the T1 MRN status via the remote border office. After this has been done your status as “waiting check in” will be changed to “checked in” and the original TAD will be handed over to the driver.

Exit Killingholme – Unaccompanied trailers

Monday to Friday 15:00 – 20:00h

From the 24^th May 2021, a border office post will be available just outside the Terminal from Monday to Friday 15:00 – 20:00h to exchange the LRN to T1 MRN before check in.

During the weekend and on weekdays before 15:00 and after 20:00h

During the weekend, Stena Line have created the possibility to check in to the terminal (as “waiting check in”) and CroPorts will support with the change from LRN to the T1 MRN status via the remote border office. After this has been done your status as “waiting check in” will be changed to “checked in” and the original TAD will be handed over to the driver.

After this has been done the status from “waiting check in” to “checked in”.

Please note that the drivers collecting Transit trailers in the Netherlands, (with T doc) will need to

ensure that they also collect the T doc at the Port and they will need to sign for the receipt of the

document.

The cost for this service introduced by Stena Line will be GBP 15,00 or Euro 17,00.

For more information, please contact your local Stena Line reservations department.

Return to the UK Landbridge

January 2021 saw a reduction in the volumes of traffic using the UK landbridge. As new Brexit Regulations were a major concern for traders, warehouses were stockpiled to allow for any potential bottlenecks and with the increasing number of COVID infections across Europe, the feeling among businesses in Ireland was that direct routes were safer with less disruption than travelling via the UK.

January 2021 saw a reduction in the volumes of traffic using the UK landbridge. As new Brexit Regulations were a major concern for traders, warehouses were stockpiled to allow for any potential bottlenecks and with the increasing number of COVID infections across Europe, the feeling among businesses in Ireland was that direct routes were safer with less disruption than travelling via the UK.

Three months on and a steady flow of traffic back to the landbridge is becoming more evident. Warehouse stockpiles have been depleted, COVID infection rates are slowing and customs officials, businesses and brokers have a better understanding of the new world of Brexit requirements and customs paperwork. The landbridge is again a very accessible option for hauliers and businesses wanting to access the EU from Ireland through the UK. According to EU statistics almost 15,000 transit declarations were registered in and out of Ireland during the month of March. This is a significant increase from January and February’s volumes which totalled 18,000 collectively. Indications are that transiting across the UK is a more efficient and cost-effective means of accessing the EU. At SGS, we are fast establishing ourselves as the trusted partner for facilitating transit movements for Irish businesses.

Tom Ferris, consultant economist, has written widely on Brexit and transport. He is of the view that the “pendulum will swing back to the use of the landbridge by Irish traders, but not to the same extent as was evident up to 31st December 2020. It is a matter of traders adapting to the changed circumstances and ensuring that they are fully conversant with the customs and administrative requirements of a post-Brexit world”.

One of the benefits offered by the landbridge is superior transit times. According to the IMDO Report “The Implications of Brexit on the Use of the Landbridge”, 12th November 2018 “The landbridge is the quickest way to transport freight to and from the continent each year; it takes less than 20 hours, compared to the 40-hour roll-on roll-off direct sea route and the 60-hour load-on load-off direct sea route. These times have changed with the advent of new routes however, transiting from Ireland to Rotterdam or Calais across the landbridge is still a much quicker option than using the direct ferries. When preparation times and delivery locations are taken into consideration the landbridge can also be a much more economical option”.

While direct ferries have provided hauliers and businesses with alternative options to access the EU, the unknown of Brexit-related customs processes has not been as stressful as many had feared. The landbridge is as accessible as ever in both directions allowing businesses to keep their cargo moving faster and more regularly without the fear of weather delays, cancelations or waiting for available slots. This position is supported by many of our clients:

With some preparation and support from the SGS TransitNet team, each stage of the journey can be made smoother by using TransitNet. Our customs experts will ensure that you are supported from the preparation of your journey right through to termination. We will advise on what the requirements are depending on the nature of the goods you are moving and will ensure that these requirements are met prior to departure.

For more information please download full article below:

SGS Fleet Article

The Custom House, Ashford – temporary change of location

Approved clients of SGS TransitNet have been using SGS’ authorized location, The Custom House in Ashford, to start their transit declarations from the UK to continental Europe and beyond since the start of January 2021.

Temporary change of location

The Custom House will temporarily move from its location now in Waterbrook Park to the Ashford International Truckstop on Waterbrook Avenue.

The Ashford International Truckstop offers drivers a great location to start transit. See the map below for the new location details.

Process for drivers wishing to start transit

Drivers arriving to the International Truckstop will be met by a security guard at the gatehouse. The driver should inform the security that they are a SGS TransitNet/The Custom House client wishing to start transit. The security guard will direct the drivers to dedicated parking for SGS TransitNet/The Custom House clients which is directly on the right hand side after entering the Truckstop. There will also be a member of The Custom House staff present at this parking to direct the drivers in the right direction.

The driver, as per the original process should be in possession of a valid TSN, and should proceed immediately to The Custom House office to present it for processing.

More information on the process can be found in the downloadable step by step guide below;

SGS-C&P-Ashford_Step by step

The Customs House – parking available

The Custom House also have a number of overnight parking spaces (subject to availability) which can be booked in advance at a rate of £15 (Saturday/Sunday) and £30 (weekdays). Same day booking may be available, but cannot be guaranteed, with rates of £20 (Saturday/Sunday) and £40 (weekdays). Contact The Custom House on +44 (0) 7761 485825 or +44 (0) 7761 485829 for more information.

For more information in this change of location and the services offered by The Custom House and SGS TransitNet, please download our brochure below;

SGS-C&P-TransitNet_TheCustomsHouse