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Updated in August 2023:
The final Border Target Operating Model can be read at UK's Guidance: The Border Target Operating Model: August 2023.
To establish UK’s own border control measures after the Brexit, UK government released a guidance named “The Border Target Operating Model” on April 5, 2023. Opinions can be submitted to this online portal.
Key Content
One of the main elements is the introduction of a new Safety and Security model. All imported goods from countries inside or outside the EU will be subject to Safety and Security declarations, which can help to prevent the import of illegal goods such as drugs and weapons. For now, the data submission requirements for these declarations have been reduced from 37 items to 24 mandatory fields, with the rest 13 fields becoming optional. In addition, to enable stakeholders to submit the data to border agencies through a single portal and make the process simpler for traders, the UK Single Trade Window will be established.
Another key element is the new Sanitary and Phytosanitary goods model, which aims to create a streamlined and effective global risk-based control system. Animals, animal-origin products, plants and plant products will be categorized based on risk assessment of high, medium, or low risk. Controls and percentages of checks will be conducted proportionately based on risk levels at the border. The below table is an example for how UK categorizes different products and the corresponding control measures. Please note that since this model will be dynamic, so some goods might be recategorized, but most goods will not be changed from their initial categorization.
Table 1: Risk categorization of animal and animal-origin products and corresponding proportionate controls
Animal-origin products | Risk categorization | Proportionate controls | |
1 | Live animals, etc. | High risk |
|
2 | Raw, chilled, frozen meat, meat products, dairy, animal by-products for use in animal feed, fishery products and aquatic animals imported as products of animal origin. | Medium risk |
A trusted trader scheme for medium risk consignments will be piloted to reduce the frequency of routine physical checks for frequent importers, etc. |
3 | Processed, shelf-stable products such as composites and certain canned meat products, processed animal by-products and certain fishery products and aquatic animal products from lower risk countries. | Low risk |
Goods classified as low risk would need to enter via a port with a designated Border Control Post for that type of commodity. |
As for the implementation timeline for the Border Target Operating Model,
In October 2023, export health certificates and phytosanitary certificates will be introduced for medium risk animal products as well as plant and plant products imported to Great Britain from the EU. The government will also begin the sample documentary checks on medium risk goods from the EU, etc.
In January 2024, the new global risk-based import mechanism for both EU and non-EU goods will be implemented. For example, health certificates and routine checks at the border will no longer be required for low-risk imports from non-EU countries.
From October 2024, Safety and Security declarations will be required for EU imports. Alongside this, the use of the UK Single Trade Window will remove duplication across pre-arrival datasets where possible, to further simplify traders’ management.
As revealed by the government, they are firm to proceed with the first milestone on October 31, 2023. Therefore, stakeholders should begin preparing for this change now.
Read the document “The Border Target Operating Model: Draft for Feedback” for more details.
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