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.

Launching on March 13 at MemberCon, 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.

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

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.