Things to consider when you appoint a customs intermediary
Updated 14 July 2021
If your business is based in the UK and you import from or export goods to the EU, or anywhere in the world, appointing a customs intermediary may benefit you.
Customs intermediaries can deal with import and export declarations on your behalf. Many businesses decide to use an intermediary because customs declarations can be complicated.
Find more information about appointing a customs intermediary and a list of intermediaries that can help you.
Before appointing one, there are several things to consider, such as:
- your business requirements – the type of goods you move, how often you move them and where you move them to or from
- volumes – how many declarations you expect to make
- licencing – whether your goods need a licence, special handling, or other specialist controls
- timing – whether your goods need to arrive within a specific timeframe
- your customs training needs
Being clear on these points will allow you to make an informed decision when appointing an intermediary to help you with customs processes for importing or exporting.
Your business requirements
Make sure you have enough information about your requirements before you speak to an intermediary, particularly:
- what type of goods you move
- how often you move them
- and where you move them to or from – for example, the countries that you often trade with
You should consider asking the intermediary:
- what customs experience do you have?
- what type of goods do you move?
- what routes/countries do you cover?
- can you handle the customs procedures for the countries I trade with?
How many declarations you need to make
You need to know:
- how many declarations you expect to make in a week or month
- how often you move goods into or out of the UK
You can use the check if you need to declare goods you bring into or take out of the UK tool to help you estimate how many declarations you may need to make.
You should also be clear how the intermediary will charge for their services.
Consider asking the intermediary:
- can you handle the volume of declarations I expect to make? (you should be able to estimate this for them)
- how would you like to be paid? (for example, they may charge a fixed fee, a fee per declaration, or both
Licensing, special handling and other controls
You need to know if your goods need a licence, special handling, or other specialised controls.
Consider asking the intermediary to confirm that they’ll be able to handle your licencing needs.
Timing – goods that need to arrive quickly
Think about if your goods need to arrive at their destination within a specific timeframe or need rapid or out-of-hours changes.
You should consider asking the intermediary:
- can you prioritise declarations for goods that, for example, need to reach their destination within a specific timeframe?
- are you able to respond to quickly to unforeseen issues that may arise while goods are being imported or exported?
Training and support
As customs is complex, think about whether you will need any training or support.
You should consider asking the intermediary:
- do you provide any customs training and support?
- do you know of any other customs training providers?
You can check a list of customs training providers.
What you need from an intermediary
Think about what you need your customs intermediary to do, and what you can do yourself or already have someone doing for you.
You should consider asking the intermediary:
- what are the full range of the services that you provide?
- what would you and the intermediary each be responsible for? (for example, who would be responsible for import/export declarations, safety and security declarations, transport needs)
Information sharing
Think about the most convenient way for you to send information to your intermediary to enable them to act on your behalf and check whether that will also work for them.
You should consider asking the intermediary:
- what information will you need from me?
- how often will you need information from me?
- can I provide the information in a way that suits me?
Northern Ireland
If you move goods through Northern Ireland, you should consider asking the intermediary:
- do you have access to the Trader Support Service?
- can you make declarations for goods that move through Northern Ireland?