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Customs Advisory Practice

In today’s evolving international trade landscape, customs regulations are more complex than ever. Managing compliance, optimising costs, and avoiding penalties are critical to keeping your business competitive.

Our Customs Advisory Practice partners with your business to turn customs challenges into opportunities. We build your team's capabilities to build sustainable success in international trade.

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Tailored support for complex challenges

The Chartered Institute of Export & International Trade’s Customs Advisory Practice empowers businesses to confidently navigate the complexities of customs compliance. 

Our advisers provide specialised, tailored advice to help you streamline customs processes, avoid costly penalties, and leverage opportunities in global trade. With deep expertise across key industries, we deliver practical, actionable guidance that supports your success. 

Expertise across key sectors

Our expertise spans various sectors, enabling us to deliver relevant and specific advice for the unique compliance demands of each industry.

  • Manufacturing: Optimise supply chains and ensure compliance across production hubs.

  • Retail: Simplify customs processes for importing consumer goods.

  • FMCGs: Navigate regulations for fast-moving goods in global markets.

  • Textiles: Streamline compliance for international textile and garment trade.

  • Logistics: Enhance efficiency and compliance in supply chain management. 

Your compliance challenges, our solutions

Our advisers bring extensive knowledge of customs regulations and hands-on experience to address your specific needs: 

  • Customs Declaration Service (CDS): Select the most appropriate CDS software and successfully implement it.

  • Classification: Ensure accurate commodity code classification complies with UK legislation and the Harmonized System (HS).

  • Valuation: Receive customs valuation guidance on transfer pricing agreements for cross-border transactions.

  • Origin: Establish the non-preferential country of origin and achieve preferential rates under relevant trade agreements.

  • Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) compliance: Navigate the new requirements for food and drink, and agriculture products.

  • Risk mitigation: Develop internal compliance programmes and reduce reliance on third-party intermediaries.

  • Customs legislation: Adapt and comply with customs legislation changes.

  • Facilitation and optimisation: Apply for or review authorisations for customs special procedures such as transit, inward processing, customs warehousing or Authorised Economic Operator.

  • Duty optimisation: Review existing import processes and data to ensure the right duty is paid, assist with duty reclaims or voluntary disclosure of underpayment.

Meet your practice lead

Anna Doherty

A qualified and accredited customs professional, Anna is a leading international trade and customs specialist and commentator, having worked as a practitioner before joining the Chartered Institute of Export and International Trade in April 2023.

She represents the Chartered Institute at industry and government forums, while advising public and private sector clients on trade compliance and customs facilitations.

A regular speaker at UK and European events and at government working groups, Anna is industry chair of HMRC’s Joint Customs Consultative Committee, its forum for consulting with key trade stakeholders on customs procedures and regulations and represents the Chartered Institute at the EU - UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement Domestic Advisory Group.

With expertise in interpreting UK and EU regulations and their impact on business, Anna’s current focus is on the changes within the customs landscape including the UK’s Border Target Operating Model, the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), and EU’s Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) as well as the EU customs reform.

Before joining the Chartered Institute, Anna was customs lead at a major UK manufacturing retailer, developing its customs compliance policy and processes for post-Brexit trading.

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Our three levels of service

Navigating customs is complex, so our Advisory Practice is here to make it simpler. Whether you need immediate advice, operational support or strategic guidance, we offer tailored services to meet your particular needs. 

Business Support

1. International Trade Surgery

Get fast answers to your most pressing trade compliance questions in a focused session lasting up to two hours. 

  • Up to two hours over the phone
  • Quick, practical solutions
  • Bespoke for your business needs
Health Check

2. Health Check

A comprehensive review of your trade operations to uncover compliance gaps and present actionable recommendations.

  • A one-day assessment, virtual or on-site
  • Review of workflows and documentation
  • Recommendations in a written report
Checklist

3. Strategic Insights Advisory

Get high-level guidance and long-term strategic solutions with our Strategic Insights Advisory, the premier offering from our Advisory Practices.

  • Bespoke advice
  • Market insights to inform strategic decisions
  • Executive-level guidance on compliance
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Advisory

Specialist customs services

Trading In Uncertain

Managing trade change and risk

Our experts help you to stay on top of changing rules and trading situations in international markets with this one-day scenario planning service

  • Review your trade routes
  • Receive tariff mitigation recommendations
  • Review supply chains vulnerabilities
Processing

Inward and outward processing

Save money and avoid unnecessary duty payments with applications support for inward and outward processing

  • Optimise duty payments
  • Receive Inward and outward processing application support
  • Sharpen competencies in post-authorisation processes
Aeo

AEO support

Get support applying for and maintaining an Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) authorisation.

  • Better prepare for AEO readiness and audit visits
  • Develop deeper understanding of AEO controls and procedures
  • Strengthen expertise in AEO applications
Warehouse

Customs warehousing

We support you with your application for customs warehousing to suspend duty and VAT payments, helping your business to better manage cashflow.

  • Get expert support for customs warehousing applications
  • Successfully navigate import processes and duty suspensions
  • Build competence for post-authorisation requirements
Uk Origin

Rules of origin checker

Our experts can offer accessible and practical advice for the rules of origin affecting your products.

  • Increase internal abilities to demonstrate origin of goods
  • Develop skills to claim preferential tariff treatment
  • Identify and record processes for proving origin of goods
Code Checker

Commodity code checker

Correctly classifying your goods is essential for customs compliance. Get clarity on classifying your products with support from our experts.

  • Receive support to help correctly classify your goods
  • Ensure that the correct taxes, duties and other measures are applied
  • Learn best practice for recording your classification processes
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Enquire now

To find out more about our Customs Advisory Practice please complete this form. We'll be in touch to discuss your needs.

Call us:

+44 (0)1733 404 400

Download your free guide on building customs confidence

Building compliance confidence through the "big three" of customs - classification, origin and valuation.

Download guide
Customs Confidence