Using the Trader Support Service when your goods move through an inventory linked port

Find out what you need to do if your goods are moving through an inventory linked port, and how to make an inventory claim through the Trader Support Service.

Contents

Use this guidance if you are a Trader Support Service user submitting a full import declaration (called a standard declaration in the service), for goods moving by maritime or air through an inventory-linked port or airport. This guide does not cover goods that move by roll on roll off (RoRo) through the Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS). Find out more about how to create a Goods Movement Reference (GMR)

When goods move through a port or airport, they are controlled using either temporary storage or pre-lodgement procedures.

Temporary storage means goods are held at the port, airport or an approved temporary storage facility until the required customs declaration has been submitted.

Pre-lodgement means the customs declaration must be submitted before the goods arrive at the port. This applies to all goods using the Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS).

This guidance is for temporary storage. It explains how to make an inventory claim in the Trader Support Service to release your goods.

For details on pre-lodgement, refer to the Creating a goods movement reference (GMR) into or out of Northern Ireland - Trader Support Service guidance.

Temporary storage at a port or airport

Temporary storage allows goods to remain within a port or airport for up to 90 days. The goods must then be declared to another customs procedure, such as free circulation or re-export. Once declared into another customs procedure, the goods are released from the port or airport.

In most cases, goods are held in temporary storage for only a few days before being released from the port or airport.

Goods moving through these temporary storage locations are monitored via an inventory system. This software records all inbound and outbound movements for the port, and traders or their intermediaries can use it to release their goods.

These inventory systems are operated by Community System Providers (CSPs).

The Trader Support Service communicates with the inventory systems in Northern Ireland, so you do not have to. You will need to provide information about your goods to allow the service to locate them on your behalf.

Confirming which method of control applies to your goods

Most goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland will arrive through roll on roll off (RoRo) ports. These ports require GVMS, not an inventory system.

There are 2 types of movements supported by the Trader Support Service that require an inventory system:

goods arriving in Northern Ireland from the rest of the world (excluding the EU) through a maritime port or airport
goods moved by air freight from Great Britain to Northern Ireland

Traders handling their own declarations in the Trader Support Service should check with their carriers or hauliers which method of control applies to their goods.

Hauliers and intermediaries acting on behalf of traders must also confirm whether to use inventory linking or GVMS.

If you are using an inventory system, you will not need to use GVMS.

Temporary storage locations in Northern Ireland

There are 3 maritime port locations in Northern Ireland that apply the temporary storage method of control:

Belfast
Londonderry
Warrenpoint

Each of these locations can also be a RoRo port – you will need to confirm the routing with your carrier or haulier.

For goods moving by air, the locations are:

Belfast City Airport
Belfast International Airport

What declaration type applies for inventory linked movements

An inventory claim is used to claim the goods recorded in the inventory system.

You can only make inventory claims for standard import declarations.

Unique Consignment Numbers

Each maritime consignment recorded in an inventory system is assigned a Unique Consignment Number (UCN) by that system. This can also be referred to as a Unique Consignment Reference (UCR). This reference is used to identify the goods in the port.

For air freight, this is known as the Inventory Consignment Reference (ICR).

Traders need to claim the goods that belong to them – this is done through a process called nomination. Traders can do this themselves, or an intermediary can do so on their behalf.

Once a UCN or ICR has been nominated, you need to add that reference to the declaration in the Trader Support Service, allowing the goods to be released from the port.

Completing an inventory-linked declaration in the Trader Support Service

In the Trader Support Service, inventory claims and the completion of a standard declaration with the UCN or ICR are managed by Support Cases.

You must raise a support case in the Trader Support Service by following the below steps:

1. Go to homepage

2. Select Start a declaration

3. Select Inventory-linked movement arriving in Northern Ireland

4. In the Check your answers page, select Save and continue

5. This will automatically raise a Support Case in the service

6. In the Case Overview, select Download template. This will download a spreadsheet named “Inventory and Import template” to your computer.

7. Open the template

8. Complete the Inventory Claim tab on the template

9. Complete the Import Declaration tab on the template

10. Upload the completed template in the Support Case by selecting Upload completed template

Completing the inventory claim

You must follow the completion instructions on the template.

Complete the mandatory fields in Claim details & contact section.

The Vessel name/IMO/flight number and Expected arrival date fields are optional, but if you have the information required at the time of completing the form, include those details.

Complete Section A if you are requesting an inventory claim for a maritime movement.

Complete Section B if you are requesting an inventory claim for an air freight movement.

If you have multiple UCNs or ICRs for your movement

If one goods’ movement has multiple containers or consignments, you can combine multiple UCNs or ICRs in an inventory system. They can then be used on a single customs declaration.

This process is known as an ‘amalgamation’.

To group multiple containers or consignments into a single reference, select “Yes” from the dropdown menu in the Mark for amalgamation column in the template. You must do this for each row you need to have amalgamated.

Providing declaration completion instructions

Once the Inventory claim tab is completed, you must complete the Import Declaration tab.

Follow the completion instructions provided in the template, including the indicated mandatory fields.

In the Goods item section, you must split each goods item into individual rows. Goods are usually split by commodity code or country of origin.

Check the information added to the template thoroughly before submitting. Your goods may be delayed if any required information is missing or incorrect

Example

A ceramics distributor is moving a shipment of ceramic tiles under commodity code 6907400000 from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.

Half of the goods originated in Italy, where the other half originated in Spain.

Despite falling under the same commodity code, the 2 separate countries of origin mean that the trader splits them into 2 different goods items on the template.

After uploading the template

Once you have uploaded the template, the service will use that information to make an inventory claim on your behalf.

If the details provided match the records in the inventory system, the UCN or ICR nomination will be successful.

If there is an issue, or if the goods are not yet available to claim, you will be notified in the Support Case and email.

The service will then use the information in the template to complete a standard declaration on your behalf. Once the declaration is successfully submitted, you will be notified in the Support Case and by email. The details of the declaration, such as the MRN, will also be passed to you.