The Border Target Operating Model (BOTM) is a new approach to sanitary and phytosanitary controls for imports of live animals, animal products, plants and plants products to Great Britain. These new requirements will impact importers of animals, plants and plant products designed to modernise the border and speed up controls The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has published a summary of the Border Target Operating Model operational learnings and most commonly asked questions since 30 April.
Dorset Chamber’s International Trade team’s, Tom Bennett, shares some of the highlights:
Border Control Post/Port Health Authority opening hours
You are strongly advised to check the Border Control Post (BCP) opening hours and the Port Health Authority (PHA) operating hours at the point you are planning an import of consignments containing high and medium risk products.
BCP/PHA contact details are listed on GOV UK. Also contact the BCP/PHA at your chosen port of entry for details on emergency or out of hours arrangements in case of transport delays or changes.
Double-check that your chosen port of entry has a Border Control Point designated for the product you are importing
All SPS goods, excluding live animals, must enter GB via a port of entry with a suitably designated BCP (except for movements from the Island of Ireland). If you have selected Port of Dover or Eurotunnel as the Port of Entry in the Transport section of the import notification, the Border Control Post will be Sevington. Note, if you later decide to go via a different BCP you must update your declarations.
Where a consignment is identified as being brought into GB via a point of entry without a suitably designated BCP, it may be subject to formal enforcement action, including the consignment being detained and refused entry.
Use of official and commercial seals
Official seals are only required when stated in the Health Certificate. Commercial seals can be used and are encouraged for land bridge transit movements – these should not be recorded on the health certificate but should be included in the CHED notification
where used.
Keep the Customs Declaration Service (CDS) up to date
You must make sure that any errors in the customs declaration are corrected and the submitted CHED import notification reference is added to the declaration in the correct section and the correct document code is used before you submit the declaration. Import of Products, Animals, Food and Feed System (IPAFFS) provides a Copy and Paste feature so that you or your agent can copy both of these from the submission screen, to paste into the declaration.
Use the right commodity codes for IPAFFS and CDS
You or your customs agent must make sure that the commodity codes declared in the customs declaration are the same as the commodity codes declared in your import notification on IPAFFS. You can amend these codes to ensure that they match, but you must do this in both systems. Failure to do this is likely to result in your goods being called into a BCP and held until the error corrected.
Fixing signature errors on health certificates
If a paper certificate is used it must bear the signature and stamp of the certifying officer. Verifiable PDF certificates must bear a valid digital signature. You must also check attestations are completed in accordance with the model certificate 'notes for completion' and all non-applicable attestations are correctly deleted or omitted from the certificate.
Deletions carried out by hand must be initialled and stamped. If completed electronically as a verifiable PDF the signature and stamp per page is sufficient.
If you need support or guidance on BOTM or any aspect of global import and export, get in touch international@dorsetchamber.co.uk