LIMITED PLACES AVAILABLE
Roundtable discussion on the Border Target Operating Model

The first phase of inbound border processes on many food and plant products from the EU into GB began last week. You can read the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) comments as the controls were introduced on Wednesday 31 January. William Bain, Head of Trade Policy at the BCC, also appeared on BBC News on Tuesday.

We are delighted to welcome William to a private roundtable event on Tuesday 20 February where we will focus on the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) and what this means for UK businesses with the additional customs rules and checks.

While these changes currently only affect food and plant products, this will be extended to other products over time.

Limited places available - book now to ensure you can have your say. 

If you would like to attend this event, which costs £30.00 (plus VAT), please register here. Places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

With immediate effect, any application that is rejected more than three times will incur an additional rejection charge. For those companies on our Global Membership package you will still receive 10 FREE rejections per year.

We are adapting our processes in-house to ensure that any application is checked by two people before any rejection is made, to allow for human error on our side, and we will notify of all errors found as always when we send this back to you.

Please ensure that when an application is rejected, you note the errors we have highlighted, and correct each one before sending it back to us. If you are unsure, of any error stated please call or email us to discuss this before sending it back.

We will also no longer be able to reject an application as `No Charge’ if it is submitted by yourselves in error, or you ask for us to reject it back to you for any reason.

If you require any assistance with any rejections or other trade information please contact us on internationaltrade@cambscci.co.uk or call 01223 237414.

Heathrow update: Exporting excellence

Last week, Heathrow has launched their 12 regional and devolved nations Exporting Excellence reports, which follows on from the launch of their national Exporting Excellence report last year.

Throughout September 2023, Heathrow worked with local Chambers to bring together businesses, policymakers, and aviation experts from six regions and nations across the UK. The aim was to understand the key challenges exporters are facing and how to collectively boost export-led growth in the UK.

Each specific report highlights the value of exporting in that region or nation, and a number of ways in which industry, government and business can work together to continue to boost exports and therefore jobs and economic growth.

The regional reports will be presented to MPs and government across the coming week.

The UK government published a Command Paper last week alongside new legislation on the Windsor Framework providing some clarifications, changes to processes around regulation and the creation of a UK Internal Market lane for certain goods moving from GB to NI. Read the BCC reaction here. 

The BCC took part in a roundtable with Business Minister Nus Ghani MP on the effect of Red Sea crossing disruption on container availability and costs as well as supply chain delays. A further meeting will be held in two weeks.

The European Commission has extended by 30 days the deadline for the initial reporting period for some businesses in scope of reporting requirements in the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism and experiencing difficulties in making their declaration. Affected firms and their EU customers may seek 'delayed submission’. 

The BCC also had conversations last week with Shadow Cabinet Office Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds about our proposals on improving trade with the EU. They also spoke with Shadow Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds about trade priorities with India, and the Chair of the House of Commons Select Committee on Business and Trade, Liam Byrne about EU trade.

General Trade Licence Russia Sanctions - Vessels: The General Licence has been revised and came into force on 18 January 2024. The notice advises on the revised general trade licence for Russia.

You can view the full list of all our training courses for 2024 on the Chamber website.

Courses can also be tailored to meet your company’s specific requirements. For more information about a bespoke course for your company, which can be delivered remotely or in person, please contact the Chamber on 01223 237414.

Clean Energy Supply Chain Opportunities in the UK and USA
Tuesday 20 February, 1.30-3.30pm
University of Essex Colchester Campus, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ

Join EEEGR, the University of Essex, Innovate UK EDGE, Essex Business School and the US City of Virginia Beach for an event discussing

the sustainable opportunities and funding available to businesses in the East of England, the UK and the USA in the near future.

Speakers at

the event will include: John Stenhouse, Investment and Equity (University of Essex), Julie Pauley, Ecosystem Relationship & Gateway Lead

(Innovate UK EDGE), Fernando Centeno, Sustainability Lead (Innovate UK EDGE), Paige Fox, Business Development Manager (City of

Virginia Beach, USA) and Charles Macdowell, UK Representative (City of Virginia Beach), Sophie Skipp, Head of Energy Skills (EEEGR).

UK Export Finance Cambridgeshire Business Forum
Tuesday 27 February, 9.00am-1.30pm
Suite 12, The Trinity Centre, 24 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge, CB4 0FN

Join UK Export Finance (UKEF) for an informative morning highlighting alternative routes to finance to help you export. There will be insightful presentations from UKEF, Department for Business and Trade, Innovate UK, and others that will provide you with the information you need to overcome the financial barriers to exporting. You will also have the opportunity to meet with representatives from UKEF and a range of financial institutions to discuss the support available for your business.

Attendance is free of charge. Please email events@ukexportfinance.gov.uk by Friday 9 February to RSVP and confirm any dietary or accessibility requirements.

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