Operational Guidance on BTOM Compliance, CHED & Groupage Requirements, and Invoicing Procedures
New import controls were implemented on 30th April 2024. This email gives you operational information on the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM).
BTOM Updates:
- Completing the CHED & Groupage requirements: step by step to getting it right
- How to comply with the BTOM and the new import controls that are now in place
- Common User Charge Invoicing and Payments
- Resources to help you comply
- Contact points for urgent BTOM queries
Completing the CHED & Groupage requirements: step-by-step to getting it right
Completing your Common Health Entry Document (CHED) incorrectly or failing to update your CHED on the Import of Products, Animals, Food and Feed System (IPAFFS) before your consignment’s arrival at the Border Control Post (BCP), can result in unnecessary delays to your goods and may mean that your consignment is called in for an inspection at a Border Control Post (BCP) when you don’t need one.
Please note this also applies to groupage consignments. Traders must provide all necessary information to the Certifying Officer and demonstrate best endeavours to comply with new import controls.
Follow the guidance below to get it right.
- Be sure to enter ‘Transport information’, as soon as possible.
DEFRA have seen examples of incomplete transport and schedule details. To avoid delays, ensure all required information is provided and verified before submission.
In cases where the final means of transport is not known at the time of certification, the Certifying Officer may use ‘groupage’ as a temporary identifier in the ‘means of transport’ section of the health certificate (typically box I.15).
However, the trader must update the transport details in IPAFFS as soon as they are known, and before the consignment arrives at the GB Point of Entry.
Transport information is required
The trader must identify one of the following:
- flight number
- train number
- road vehicle registration number
- vessel name: IPAFFS requires that for consignments arriving by ferry, both the vessel name and the road vehicle registration number must be entered in the free text transport identification field.
Details can be added for transport to the port of entry, and for transport after the BCP.
Include a Schedule signed and verified by the Certifying Officer
Note: This section covers actions required by Certifying officers /Competent Authorities only but serves as a reminder to traders of a key step in the process.
When submitting consignments for certification, it is sometimes necessary to provide additional information that cannot be fully detailed within the main body of the health certificate. In such cases, a schedule is used to supplement the certificate with this additional information.
Traders should provide all the requisite information to the Certifying Officer, so he/she can create the schedule.
The schedule must be certified and signed by the Certifying Officer, just like the main health certificate. This ensures that the information provided in the schedule is officially recognised.
Paper-based Certificates: If you are using a paper-based health certificate, the signed schedule should be physically included with the certificate.
Electronic Certificates: For electronic certificates, the signed schedule should be uploaded to the relevant system (e.g., TRACES) or included as part of the electronic certificate file. Ensure that the schedule is clearly labelled and easily accessible within the electronic document.
Reminder: How to comply with the BTOM and the new import controls that are now in place:
1. Register for IPAFFS online on GOV UK if you haven’t already done so. The person or business completing the CHED Part 1 import notification must have a UK address to register for IPAFFS.
2. Know your risk category – use the online guidance to find the risk category of your commodity.
3. Ensure that your EU supply chain is providing you with health certificates and/or phytosanitary certificates.
4. Consider using a digitally signed and verifiable GB export health certificate (EHC) in place of the paper version of the certificate for live animals and POAO imports from EU and EFTA countries where the PDF health certificate can be electronically verified. We will accept verifiable PDF certificates from TRACES and other EU/EFTA MS systems listed on GOV UK. You can still use a paper GB health certificate.
Please be aware that the easement period for sending scanned copies of health certificates ended on 31st July 2024.
If you or your agent uploads and attaches a scanned copy of a paper health certificate to the Common Health Entry Document (CHED) on IPAFFS and submits it, you will be required to present the original paper certificate to the Port Health Authority (PHA) or local authority (LA) at the Border Control Post (BCP) in advance of the consignment’s arrival into GB, or upon the consignment’s arrival in GB if advised to do so by the PHA/LA.
Please note: if the original paper certificate is not available for checks on entry into GB, the consignment may be held until the original paper certificate is provided to the PHA/LA at the BCP. To avoid unnecessary administrative burden and allow for a smoother flow through the BCP, you are strongly encouraged to use verifiable PDF health certificates.
5. Correctly submit your import notification in IPAFFS:
- Watch the webinar recording for Importing HRFNAO via the EU to GB: the new CHED Part 1 notification.
- Watch the webinar recording for Importing animal products from the EU to GB: New CHED Part 1 notification.
- Read DEFRA’s guidance on Import Notifications.
- Practice making CHED import notifications in the IPAFFS training environment.
- Remind your freight forwarder or customs agent to double-check that the correct CHED import notification reference in the correct format, and the correct doc code, has been entered in the customs declaration for your consignments of EU goods, and that commodity codes and net weights are also included in the declaration. This will be important from 30th April when goods start to arrive through ports with a designated BCP.
Common User Charge Invoicing
Invoices
The first Sevington BCP Common User Charge invoices were issued on 5th August 2024. All imports of SPS goods between 30th April and 31st July 2024, which were notified on IPAFFS on or after 30th April, are included in the first invoice.
Bill payers have up to 30 days from the date on the invoice to pay the common user charge. Payment for the first invoice is due by 4th September 2024. Subsequent invoices will be issued monthly, at the beginning of each month, in arrears for the previous month’s Sevington BCP common user charges.
Shared Services Connected Limited (SSCL) who manage billing and payments on behalf of Defra can also send invoice data in an excel spreadsheet upon request.
Statement of Account
The Statement of Account will set out what payments have been received and what charges remain outstanding. The statement will be issued monthly at the end of each month. The first statement will be issued from 10pm on Friday 30th August.
Further information
Detailed guidance on Common User Charge Invoicing and Payments can be found on GOV.UK.
A recording of our webinar on Common User Charge Invoicing is available here.
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