Customs bills: RHA steps in
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by Steve McQueen • The Road Haulage Association is to ask the British Ports Authority to help international hauliers left with hefty bills after searches by HM Customs and Excise officers.
"Members have faced bills at some ports of £200-£300," says Mike Freeman, RHA controller for international affairs. "Elsewhere they are not charged."
Customs searches were more regular before the EU single market and charges were hidden in the freight rates at most ports. But customs searches must now be based on intelligence rather than random checks.
This means that, since 1 January 1993, there are fewer checks and some ports authorities are keen to keep freight rates down by charging individual operators.
"There seems to be a particular problem at Poole, Plymouth and Portsmouth," says Freeman.
Portsmouth Handling Services deals with turnouts for that port authority. PHS says its maximum charge for a re-load is £250, but individual pallets have their own rate. Customs and Excise are not liable for any charges, although a spokesman for the East Anglia region says that if a check requires the removal of tyres, Customs will stand that cost.
The RHA hopes 13PA will help identify those ports which charge directly as a "first stop to establishing a fairer system".