As part of the UK’s Safety and Security Declarations (ENS) regulations, businesses must ensure compliance with Countries of Routing requirements when submitting Entry Summary Declarations (ENS) for goods imported into Great Britain (GB). It is crucial for traders, carriers, and customs intermediaries to understand how to record and manage Countries of Routing correctly in the Safety & Security Great Britain (S&S GB) system.
This article will break down the Countries of Routing requirements, provide examples of how they should be recorded, and explain how Customs Declarations UK can simplify compliance through our live Safety and Security Declaration platform.
What Are Countries of Routing in S&S GB?
Countries of Routing refer to the sequence of countries that goods pass through from their country of dispatch (exporting country) to their country of destination (importing country). Every transit country must be accurately recorded in the ENS declaration to ensure customs authorities have full visibility into the movement of goods.
Countries of Routing must be declared in chronological order, covering the complete movement of goods, including all transit stops. This includes:
- The country of dispatch/export (where goods are declared for export).
- All countries the goods transit through, including any stops or transfers.
- The country of destination/import (where goods are declared for import).
Why Is This Important?
Recording the correct Countries of Routing is critical for:
- Risk Assessment – Allows UK Border Force to assess security risks effectively.
- Compliance – Prevents ENS declarations from being rejected due to incorrect data.
- Trade Facilitation – Ensures that legitimate goods move efficiently through UK borders.
How to Correctly Record Countries of Routing?
Example 1: Lorry Transport from Germany to GB
- A lorry leaves Germany (DE) and travels through France (FR) to reach Great Britain (GB).
- Since the entire consignment follows the same route, the Countries of Routing would be: DE-FR-GB.
- A single ENS declaration can be used for this shipment.
Example 2: Goods With Different Routing
- Air fryers are loaded onto a lorry in Germany (DE).
- Laptops are loaded onto a lorry in Spain (ES).
- Both lorries arrive at a consolidation warehouse in France (FR) and are then combined into one lorry for final transport to GB.
- Since these goods started their journeys in different countries, they have different Countries of Routing:
- Air fryers: DE-FR-GB
- Laptops: ES-FR-GB
- These must be declared in separate ENS declarations.
Countries of Routing for Different Transport Modes
Road & Rail Transport
- If a lorry or train travels through multiple countries (even without stopping), all transit countries must be listed in the ENS.
- Example: A lorry moves from Germany (DE) to GB, transiting through Netherlands (NL), Belgium (BE), and France (FR).
- Countries of Routing: DE-NL-BE-FR-GB.
Sea Transport
- Any ports where the vessel stops must be included.
- Example: A ship carrying air fryers from China (CN) stops in India (IN) and Italy (IT) before reaching GB.
- Countries of Routing: CN-IN-IT-GB.
Air Transport with Multiple Stops
- If an air shipment stops at another airport before its final UK destination, the stopover must be recorded.
- Example: Air fryers are exported from China (CN) and flown to Germany (DE). They are then reloaded onto another plane bound for GB.
- Countries of Routing: CN-DE-GB.
Special Considerations for Customs Warehousing & Consolidation
Goods Stored in Customs Warehousing:
- If goods are placed into customs warehousing before being exported, the country of dispatch is where the export declaration occurs, not the original country of origin.
- Example: Air fryers from China (CN) are stored in Germany (DE) for three months before being sold to a UK importer and shipped to GB.
- Countries of Routing: DE-FR-GB (Germany is the country of dispatch, not China).
Goods Undergoing Temporary Storage:
- If goods are held in temporary storage before their onward journey, it does not change the Countries of Routing.
- Example: Air fryers from Turkey (TR) undergo a customs transit movement through Bulgaria (BG), Romania (RO), Hungary (HU), Austria (AT), Germany (DE), and France (FR) before arriving in GB.
- Countries of Routing: TR-BG-RO-HU-AT-DE-FR-GB.
How Customs Declarations UK Simplifies ENS Compliance
At Customs Declarations UK, we provide a fully operational platform that allows businesses to seamlessly submit ENS declarations for imports into GB.
Our Safety and Security Declarations (ENS) Service ensures full compliance with S&S GB regulations, including Countries of Routing requirements.
Why Choose Customs Declarations UK?
Live ENS Service: Our platform is live and ready for ENS submissions.
Easy Data Entry: Simply input your Countries of Routing in the correct order.
Bulk Declaration Support: Submit multiple consignments if they follow the same routing.
Regulatory Compliance: Ensure all declarations meet the regulatory compliance.
24/7 Expert Support: Get assistance from our customs compliance experts.
Conclusion
Understanding Countries of Routing is essential for accurate ENS declarations and compliance with S&S GB regulations. Incorrect or incomplete information can delay shipments, cause customs rejections, and lead to penalties.
With Customs Declarations UK, businesses can ensure accurate Safety and Security Declarations, avoiding costly delays and ensuring smooth trade operations.