Potential Issues With Customs New GVMS System

The Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS) is reported to be causing issues at UK borders, leading to concerns that potentially thousands of shipments are bypassing border checks.

GVMS is the new IT platform that HM Customs recently introduced at some major ports to enable the pre-lodgement of customs declarations and to speed up clearance processing time.

The system has not been without its critics, with some forwarding and haulage organisations feeling it is not currently fit for its intended purpose. Problems with an extended maintenance occurred for a few days this month, which led to intensified congestion on the main Dover/Calais route.

One school of thought is that loopholes are continuing to be exploited, which is resulting in a lack of checks, especially at UK ro-ro ports.

This has undoubtedly helped keep freight moving in what has been a difficult phase over to full customs declarations on imports and exports through the European Union, although it has raised concerns over security controls.

For details of Jenkar’s extensive European and Customs Declaration services, please do not hesitate to contact us.