Freight Transport Association to give evidence to Lords EU committee
On Thursday 19 April 2018 the House of Lords EU External Affairs Sub-Committee will take evidence on customs arrangements after Brexit from the Freight Transport Association's Deputy CEO, James Hookham, and consultant, Clive Broadley. This will be the first evidence session of the Committee's new inquiry Brexit: customs arrangements.
This public evidence session starts at 11.30am.
The questions the Committee is likely to ask include:
- One of the two options for customs arrangements post-Brexit outlined by the Government aims to use new technology to decrease the need to check goods at the border. What sorts of technological solutions are currently in place elsewhere? Could these be implemented at the UK-EU border after Brexit?
- The second option outlined by the Government is charging two different sets of tariffs on imports, depending on whether goods are destined for the UK or the EU market, thus eliminating the need for a border. How much additional administration would this mean for companies, and how could goods be tracked once they have entered the UK? How easy would it be to separate goods by destination?
- What additional UK border infrastructure needs to be established and how long will this take?
- To what extent could the new customs arrangements be facilitated by the Customs Declaration Service (CDS) system? What other systems would need to be put in place?
- Why are only about 500 UK companies currently registered as Authorised Economic Operators (AEOs)? How significant could this programme be to the UK's future trade relationship with the EU?
- Both customs arrangements outlined by the Government would require changes on the EU27 side as well. What is the readiness and capacity of EU27 countries to implement changes to accommodate the new relationship with the UK?
This public evidence session will begin at 11.30am on Thursday 19 April 2018 in Committee Room 1 of the House of Lords.
