Starting from January 31, 2025, the United Kingdom will introduce the Entry Summary Declaration (ENS), a mandatory pre-declaration for goods entering the UK territory. This measure aims to enhance import security and facilitate customs risk management. It primarily concerns carriers and logistics operators who will need to submit information about goods before they arrive in the UK.
What is the ENS?
The ENS is a declaration that must be submitted by carriers before goods arrive in the UK. It contains key information about the cargo, such as:
- The description of the goods
- The HS (Harmonized System) codes
- Details of the consignor and consignee
- The mode of transport
This declaration is intended to assist Customs authorities in better assessing risks and improving import security.
Impact for Carriers:
The introduction of the ENS will have organizational and financial impacts for carriers operating to the UK:
- New Submission Deadlines: Carriers will need to submit the ENS before the goods arrive in the UK, which will require prior planning of information and stricter transmission deadlines.
- Administrative Costs: Collecting, managing, and submitting the additional required information for the ENS will result in extra costs for carriers. This includes the time spent gathering necessary data, updating internal processes, and ensuring compliance with the new requirements.
- System Updates: Carriers will need to update their IT systems to integrate the ENS into their logistical processes. This may involve investments in specific software or tools, as well as training for the relevant teams.
- Risk of Delays: Although the system is designed to facilitate the management of imports, any delay or omission in submitting the ENS could lead to delays at the border and additional costs related to extra inspections.
- Risk of Waiting at the Ferry: While Safram is prepared for this change, there is still some uncertainty about the implementation. Some carriers may not be ready and could be rejected at the ferry entry. This could potentially cause traffic jams and unusual waiting times, even for carriers with compliant ENS declarations.
Conclusion:
The introduction of the ENS in the UK, while aimed at improving security and the efficiency of trade, will lead to additional costs for carriers. They will need to adapt their processes and systems to meet this new requirement.
Safram has been working on this issue for several months, and we are ready for implementation.
- We have access to the IT systems required to make these declarations (currently 100% manual entry work).
- We have already conducted multiple successful tests before the go-live date.
- Our staff is undergoing training.
- Recruitment is underway to strengthen the teams in place to manage this new workload.
Safram will do everything possible to manage this regulatory change. In the event that deliveries are still affected, our Customer Service Team will inform the relevant departments on a case-by-case basis.
