'New customs papers will mean slow-down'
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CHANGES in systems of export documentation have been attacked by the Freight Transport Association as likely to lead to more complications than at present.
The British Shippers' Council, now part of the FTA, says that the proposals to move back to a pre-entry clearance system, where Customs and Excise is notified of export in advance, rather than the present system of notification within 14 days of export, will not simplify the position.
BSC has told the Customs and Excise that the Government and the EEC Commis sioners have not realised the strength of the shippers' reluctance to change the existing and "well-tried" system and it says the changes will adversely affect the efficient conduct of business.
With the new system, both shippers and customers will incur more costs, says BSC, because there is extra paperwork involved in entering goods for pre-shipment control and there will have to be staff retraining, re-organising of in-house systems and the involvement of exporters, where agents were previously involved.
It has complained that the implementation of rules at EEC level will create problems of interpretation and enforcement because no company or carrier adopts exactly the same system of documentation.
The new system proposed will lead to more delays in the shipping of goods, says BSC, and this in turn will have repercussions on business efficiency.