Focus On: Preparing for an Export Control Audit

This course is designed for those handling temporary movements of goods, whether for demonstrations, exhibitions, testing, or repairs. Participants will learn the customs and commercial processes required to manage these movements, ensure compliance, and minimise unnecessary costs. Whether goods are hand-carried or sent as unaccompanied freight, the course covers the necessary export and import declarations to manage temporary shipments and avoid customs delays effectively.

This interactive workshop clarifies the difference between origin and preferential origin, emphasising their role in trade compliance. Through case studies and exercises, participants will learn about essential documentation, declarations, and compliance verification for preferential rules in trade agreements. With the increase in HMRC audits, this session equips businesses with the skills to confidently manage origin determination and ensure compliance in both import and export activities.

Following on from the Beginners Guide to Exporting and Importing, this interactive session covers the critical areas of exporting goods. It covers essential details about the Incoterms® rules, export documentation, and working with freight forwarders to ensure goods are correctly declared. It is ideal for anyone whose job has an export connection, whether in sales, contracts, finance, shipping, or for a managerial overview.

This presentation focusses on what the HMRC Authorised Economic Operator Status accreditation is, but more importantly, examines whether being an AEO will benefit your own organisation or if staying outside the AEO system will have a detrimental effect on your business. AEO status was introduced in the EU in 2008 and is now part of UK legislation and will be linked to the new border management system coming into force the Trusted Trader Scheme.

Whether at the start of your learning pathway or as a standalone training session, this course will equip you with the necessary knowledge to understand export licensing controls and how they work. Covering essential elements provides a solid foundation for understanding what goods, technology or software could be controlled and reviewing business-relevant areas in more detail.

This session provides essential guidance on managing VAT in international trade. Participants will learn about UK VAT zero-rating for export supplies, required evidence, VAT obligations for receiving supplies, handling import VAT, and postponed VAT accounting (PVA). The course also covers reclaiming import VAT and when a UK business needs VAT registration in foreign markets, including the EU. Gain practical knowledge to ensure compliance and streamline your VAT processes.

This course is designed to help traders prepare for HMRC audits, ensuring their understanding and compliance with customs regulations. It will cover essential procedural requirements and key areas of focus in audits, such as valuation, origin preference, VAT, evidence of export, the use of special procedures (IP/OP), and Returned Goods Relief (RGR). Delegates will leave with a practical checklist to support thorough preparation for HMRC’s customs audits.

This engaging and informative one-day course will introduce you to the world of exporting and importing and focus on the terms and practices used through interactive exercises and activities. This will give you an insight into how goods are bought and sold worldwide.

This advanced workshop will not only teach you how to create an export declaration on the Customs Declaration Service (CDS), but also provide you with the confidence to do so effectively. Each data element group will be thoroughly explained, with illustrative examples provided. Our technical advisors, with their extensive experience in multiple software solutions for CDS entries, will equip you with the practical knowledge to complete Customs export declarations.

In this workshop, participants will learn why the tariff is essential for accurate commodity code classification and its connections to other vital trade measures. The course explores the structure of the Harmonised System (HS) and includes interactive sessions to help you master the classification of your goods. You’ll gain an understanding of section and chapter notes, as well as when and how to apply the General Interpretative Rules (GIRs), ensuring confidence and accuracy in tariff classification.

This workshop is designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills to complete export Customs entries in the UK. It provides delegates with an understanding of how to build the data entry information, which data elements are essential, and how to declare license information. By the end of the course, you will have the knowledge to complete a basic export Customs entry and the confidence to build on this to submit more complicated entries. This is important whether you are an agent or an exporter.

Engaging in global trade can expose companies to increased risks and costs, such as lost goods, unnecessary delays, and disputes. Clearly defining responsibilities within the supply chain can mitigate these issues, which is the purpose of the Incoterms® Rules that have been in place since 1936. However, Incoterms® are often misunderstood and misapplied. Ensure you are utilising them correctly by participating in our full-day interactive course.

This full-day session focuses on dual-use regulations, a topic relevant to many industry sectors. With licences required for dual-use items moving between the UK and EU, the need to understand this topic has grown significantly. The controls are based on an item’s inherent capability, type of materials, or technical ability, affecting many industry sectors.

This course focuses on the practical aspects of UK Customs procedures. It covers the crucial areas of Customs compliance and provides a comprehensive overview of the Customs Special Procedures that exporters and importers can utilise to save import duties and taxes. In the post-Brexit era, organisations are under increased pressure to demonstrate their understanding of Customs procedures to HMRC, and this course equips you with the knowledge and skills to do just that.

This practical session provides the necessary information for applying for individual licences and helps you determine when an open licence is suitable for specific movements or transfers of controlled items. The workshop is designed to instruct participants on using the UK export licensing system.

This interactive training course is designed for companies in the Defence, High Technology, and Military sectors, focusing on navigating the complex US export controls. Participants will learn about the regulations under the EAR and ITAR, addressing compliance requirements for UK exporters. The course covers the necessary internal procedures to follow when exporting US-controlled goods, helping to avoid potential fines, penalties, and the risk of being denied the right to trade with the USA.

The course aims to guide you to a higher standard of compliance with import and export legislation. After attending, delegates will leave with greater confidence in updating/reviewing existing procedures, talking to logistics providers, and explaining complicated issues in a simple way to other business areas.

This session is essential as the UK develops independent trade arrangements to boost imports and exports. It covers foundational concepts of FTAs and PTAs and examines their structure, purpose, and key elements, like rules of origin, with emphasis on the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA). This course empowers professionals to navigate international trade confidently and leverage FTAs for a competitive advantage.

Since the UK departed from the EU, there has been a growing need to manage temporary movements of goods. If you're involved in sending or receiving items for purposes such as demonstration, exhibition, testing, or using professional equipment, the Passport for Goods may be worth considering. This half-day session will introduce you to the ATA Carnet Scheme, an international system designed for the temporary movement of goods.

This newly launched course is designed to meet the rising demand for specialised training in the export processes specific to food and drink products. It offers comprehensive guidance on navigating the complex regulatory landscape, including an in-depth look at the key regulatory bodies involved in the export process, their functions, and the specific requirements they impose on exporters in the food and drink sector.

This popular workshop is aimed at anyone involved in international trade and customs compliance within a business. Whether from a management or administrative point of view, this course will illustrate how to promote a strong "compliance culture" throughout an organisation. It assists in understanding international regulations and how to establish performance metrics (KPIs). It covers classification, valuation, origin, duty minimisation schemes, licences, AEO, and audits.

This two-day course is an ideal progression for those who have completed Export Essentials, the Export/Import Practitioner Learning Pathway, or individuals with experience in export operations. It provides a clear, practical, and thorough exploration of the core aspects of export procedures tailored to today’s trade environment.

This engaging and informative one-day course will introduce you to the world of exporting and importing and focus on the terms and practices used through interactive exercises and activities. This will give you an insight into how goods are bought and sold worldwide.

Following on from the Beginners Guide to Exporting and Importing, this interactive session covers the critical areas of exporting goods. It covers essential details about the Incoterms® rules, export documentation, and working with freight forwarders to ensure goods are correctly declared. It is ideal for anyone whose job has an export connection, whether in sales, contracts, finance, shipping, or for a managerial overview.

In this workshop learner will find out why the tariff is so important, not only because it contains the commodity codes classifications but because of it's link to other trade measures. It looks at the structure of the Harmonised System (HS) and uses interactive session to help you understand how to classify your goods, the importance of section and chapter notes and how and when to use the General Interpretative Rules (GIRs).

All goods need to be valued correctly for customs purposes, whether a sales, returns, temporary movements or free of charge. The clear rules laid down in the WTO Valuation Agreement and adopted into UK law, will be explained during this practical workshop session as will the difference between intercompany pricing and customs valuation. It will illustrate how to build a price for import customs purposes and the costs that must be included and those that can be removed.

The Customs Declaration Service (CDS) is an advanced system designed to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of import and export entries. This new platform mandates that businesses provide additional and more detailed data for their transactions. The need for comprehensive information extends to all enterprises involved in international trade, ensuring that Customs processes are streamlined and compliant with current regulations.

This session covers the export licensing regulations for intangible transmissions of controlled items, including technology, software, and goods. It reviews the types of licences available and their usage and maintains a technology log for audits. Additionally, it addresses the use of technology by employees working overseas.

This half-day session highlights the importance of understanding embargoes and sanctions, focusing on UK regulations and the growing sanctions on Russia. It reviews current financial sanctions managed by OFSI and the severe consequences of non-compliance, including fines, reputation loss, and criminal charges. The course emphasises the need for exporters to comply with embargoes and sanctions.

This workshop is designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills to complete export Customs entries in the UK. It provides delegates with an understanding of how to build the data entry information, which data elements are essential, and how to declare license information. By the end of the course, you will have the knowledge to complete a basic export Customs entry and the confidence to build on this to submit more complicated entries. This is important whether you are an agent or an exporter.

This course combines the key elements of the UK Export Licensing System into a practical session. By reviewing the UK strategic export control lists and the legislation surrounding financial sanctions, delegates will gain a comprehensive foundation of knowledge to support future learning and understand internal requirements.

Also called drop shipping, cross-border deliveries or 3rd country supplies, instructing suppliers to ship directly to your customers without the goods being delivered to you first is becoming more common and requires careful planning.

The Advanced Food Tariff Classification course is a significant step in enhancing your professional skills and understanding the complexities involved in classifying food products. It aims to build on the foundation of knowledge gained from either the Tariff Classification Explained course or the Focus on Food Tariff Classification course to give the learner a deeper understanding of the topic.