Does your business move consumer parcels from Great Britain to Northern Ireland?
A new scheme for businesses sending parcels from Great Britain to Northern Ireland has recently opened for applications.
The UK Carrier (UKC) Scheme is an authorisation that enables businesses to move eligible consumer parcels from Great Britain to Northern Ireland in line with Windsor Framework arrangements.
The scheme aims to simplify the complicated and expensive processes involved in sending goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland while also providing the EU with reassurance that goods will not illicitly enter its market. The scheme will allow your business to send parcels without completing any customs, or safety and security declarations, but parcel companies will have to provide information to HMRC.
To take advantage of this trusted trader scheme, businesses established in the UK must be enrolled by 30 September 2024.
The scheme is only for consumer parcels, which includes:
- Business to Consumer
- Consumer to Business
- Consumer to Consumer
Not all parcels will meet the criteria for the Windsor Framework agreements and will not be illegible for the UKC scheme. These would include:
- Parcels from one business to another business — you must move these parcels using the arrangements set out for freight movements in the Windsor Framework
- Category 1 goods, like endangered species — read about category 1 goods Annex IV of the decision of the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee on laying down arrangements relating to the Windsor Framework
- Parcels which exceed the weight limits of the scheme — a parcel cannot exceed 100kg if it contains a single item, or 31.5kg if it contains more than one item
To find out if your business is eligible, apply at the link below:
Apply for the UK Carrier Scheme – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
If you’re established in Northern Ireland, you must apply for the scheme using your EORI number starting XI. Find out how to get an EORI number starting XI here.
