UK trade association the Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC) has welcomed the introduction of new, simplified procedures for importing fresh produce into the country, claiming the changes could save importers up to £1m (€1.1m) every year.
The country’s new Automatic Licence Verification (ALV) system for fruit, vegetable and flower imports came into force on 16 February this year, replacing the old customs clearance process.
“FPC has worked for a long time to have a streamlined process which is estimated to save the industry around £1m each year,” said FPC chief executive Nigel Jenney in a statement.
“We are delighted that all importers and agents can enjoy now the benefits of significant reductions in time taken to clear containers subject to customs controls.”
According to the association, under the new process consignment release decisions from customs inspectors are transmitted electronically and in real time to a central system, removing the need for agents or importers to send information to a distant office.
This real-time update directly results in the customs clearance times of containers that are subject to inspections being reduced from two hours to 10-15 minutes, once an inspection decision has been made, the FPC added.
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