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ALS offers more customs automation

[ April 14, 2022   //   Chris ]

Clearance agent ALS Customs Services is offering an automated Customs Control Tower. It obtains required customs data via EDI and connects customers to any of ALS’ local customs systems. The automated process guarantees that the data is transferred to its UK and French customs systems and simultaneously generates the appropriate customs entries on both sides.

As soon as exporters and importers are fully onboarded, transactional customs and shipment data can be processed in each connected country in line with requirements. The company’s ALS Douane France arm has also developed a function that automatically forwards French pre-lodged import entries is to the customer or its haulier.

Since the UK left the EU customs union, customs formalities have applied to all goods that are imported or exported. It has been necessary to obtain preliminary customs clearance for imports at the ports prior to departure for France or the UK because of the short crossings between Calais and Dover and the infrastructure restrictions at these border crossing points. During the border crossing, the status of pre-declared imports is automatically processed through the French SI Brexit or the British GVMS systems. Based on the regulatory risk assessments, trucks are selected for an inspection at the port or at an inland border facility or for clearance without any further stops. The challenge here is that if the necessary data is not available until late in the supply chain, transit times increase.

Tags: ALS Customs Services