Import/Export: Introduction to importing

Course Overview

This practical, topical and relevant one day seminar looks at the interconnected elements of importing goods into the UK. The aim is to look at the supply chain aspects of goods sourced from outside the UK giving delegates confidence and awareness in dealing with overseas suppliers, with transportation and customs procedures. This confidence will prove invaluable to delegates on their return to the workplace enabling them to control cost and time scale factors and also to take advantage of the available customs duty relief options.

Audience

• Newcomers to import
• Shipping department trainees
• Import administrators who have had no formal training in import procedures
• Purchasing and procurement department staffs
• Customer service administrators
• Occasional importers
• Freight forwarders trainee import staffs
• Logistics and receiving department staffs
• Management trainees
• Delegates who have previously attended the Croner's Essential Guide to Customs Procedures

Skills Gained

Attending this seminar will:

• 1. Ensure compliance with customs regulations
• 2. Increase your understanding of customs rules
• 3. Provide you with clear guidelines on how to find out what information and documents are required and give you the skill to put it into practice
• 4. Identify the importance of import entry declarations and how to read them
• 5. Increase your efficiency by teaching you the jargon of international trade

Above all, this seminar will create a more confident employee with an understanding of how to operate efficiently leading to cost savings and a reduction in delays.

Course Outline

1. Know the regulators of customs procedures

• Introduction to World Trade - what is an import
• Understanding the practical aspects of WTO/GATT rules
• Know the main regulatory bodies, e.g. HMRC, DTI, DoT

2. How international trade is administered

• The Integrated Tariff of the United Kingdom
• Guide to the information found in the 3 Volumes of the Tariff
• The importance of the Customs Freight Procedure section
• The significance of the "schedule", i.e. the list of commodity code and import control issues (TARIC)
• Where to get information on-line
• The importance of freight forwarders/clearing agents
• Differences between forwarders, carriers and express operators
• Role of a freight agent when goods arrive from overseas
• The legal declaration at import - C88A

3. Trading within the European Community (EC)

• The 25 members - how are the old and new members working together
• Practical advantages of trading within the EC
• Factors to be considered
• Free Circulation of Goods - what is it?
• Goods that are still controlled within the EC
• Statistical reports - Intrastat explained

4. Incoterms 2000

• What are Incoterms?
• Practical issues of using Incoterms
• Division of transport costs
• Obligations to insure - and the passage of risk from the seller to buyer

5. Instructing the supplier

• Purchase order format
• A short guide to international methods of payment

6. Transport matters

• Goods on the move - a look at the chain of events
• Modes of transport and service levels
• Guide to buying freight services and selecting a forwarder
• Transport Documents - the differences explained
• Essential tips on taking charge of the supply chain

7. Practical guide to import entry

• Explains what happens when goods arrive in the UK
• The importance of controlling paperwork
• Review of the areas where awareness of procedures can save time and money
• How duty and VAT are calculated and the methods of payment
• Understand the principles of import entry routes and timescales
• Essential guide on how to check import paperwork including the import entry details
• Options to speed up clearance at airports/ports
• Standard release instructions
• Forwarder's operating procedures
• Use of HM Revenue & Customs simplified entry procedures
• Legal requirements of record keeping

8. Keeping up to date

• Information on some important websites for importers
• Where to get help from UK Government and non-government sources
• A list of essential reference books and sources of nformation.

Import/Export: Introduction to importing / IE-ITI