HAMMAD BAIG
TAX BARRISTER
VAT CUSTOMS DUTY AND EXCISE LAW
INTERNATIONAL TRADE ADVISER
FULL MEMBER OF THE INSTITUTE OF EXPORT AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE
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Duty relief for
imports and exports
Duty relief schemes allow you to pay less or no duty on imports and exports from and to non-EU countries.
If you are importing or exporting in the EU, you won’t have to pay any duty.
Trading outside the EU
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Where the EU has a Free Trade Agreement in place with another country you can claim relief through a ‘trade preference’ to pay less or no duty.
There are rules around eligibility for trade preferences.
The rate of duty and the relief depends on the:
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type of goods
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country the goods are being exported to
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country the goods originate in as set by the ‘rules of origin’
To claim a trade preference you need to:
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get the correct commodity code for your goods
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make sure your goods comply with the rules of origin
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be able to provide proof of where your goods came from
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make sure you comply with transport rules
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Other duty relief schemes
If you’re importing from or exporting to a country where there is no Free Trade Agreement in place with the EU, you might be able to apply for one of these relief schemes:
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temporary admission if you import goods for a specific use for a limited time - for an exhibition, for example
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Inward Processing for goods imported from outside the EU, processed in the EU and then exported to another non-EU country - or exported within the EU if you’ve already paid duty
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Outward Processing (including textiles) for goods that are temporarily exported to a non-EU country - for repair or processing, for example
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customs warehousing when you wish to store goods duty and VAT free
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the community system of duty relief for goods that promote culture and science
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duty suspensions and tariff quotas for raw materials, parts or half-finished products
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returned goods relief for goods you reimport
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end-use relief for certain goods like fish or cheese
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