Major Easement Announced by HMRC on Export of Goods for Humanitarian Aid Destined for Ukraine

Moving aid and donations to the people of Ukraine has been made easier thanks to a HMRC easement on making customs declarations, announced by the Government today.

Organisations sending goods to support those affected by the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine will be able to make oral customs declarations or a ‘declaration by conduct’, such as passing through a ‘nothing to declare’ green channel.

An oral declaration requires an individual to identify the relevant goods to an HMRC officer.

The easement, which comes into immediate effect for a limited time, replaces the need to lodge an electronic customs declaration to HMRC through CHIEF or CDS and applies to designated airports and south coast ports in the UK.

Unlike other goods movements, donors will not need to supply customs documentation or get an EORI number to move goods in this way.

Provided the goods are not exported to, or through, Russia or Belarus, then these simplified processes apply to qualifying goods regardless of the destination “to allow maximum flexibility to get aid to where the need is greatest,” a HMRC statement released at 5.18pm today (Thursday 10 March).

Dual use and controlled goods (including medicines not available over the counter) are excluded from the easement.

Click here for more details and to check if you can send goods for humanitarian aid purposes using a simplified customs process.