Preparing for ENS changes in the TSS portal due to ICS2

[Note: The information contained herein is accurate at the date of this event, however please refer to the written guidance on the Northern Ireland Customs & Trade Academy (NICTA) website for the most up to date guidance.]

Good afternoon everyone and welcome to this TSS webinar which will focus on how to submit an entry summary declaration in the TSS portal following changes due to the introduction of the Import Control System 2 referred to as ICS2.

On the next slide you can see in the last TSS webinar we shared information about ICS2 and the subsequent additional data requirements.

Today we’ll recap on what ICS2 does and why the current system is changing.

We’ll reiterate the additional data required for RoRo movements in Northern Ireland and specifically what information is required to submit the entry summary declaration referred to as ENS to ICS2.

The main section of today’s webinar will focus on changes made in the TSS portal and how to submit your entry summary declaration.

On the next slide before we begin there are a few key terms to be aware of.

The safety and security declaration which is also known as the entry summary declaration is required for certain good movements from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.

The entry summary declaration must be submitted prior to the goods entering Northern Ireland.

Submitting is the responsibility of the person operating the means of transport on which the goods are brought into Northern Ireland and this person is commonly referred to as the carrier.

If there are any other terms you’re unsure of you can ask in the chat or access the jargon buster via the NICTA website.

I’m just dropping the link into the chat now that will be with you in a second.

However on the next slide it’s time to introduce today’s speakers.

There have been a few changes to the speakers for today’s webinar but to guide you through today’s content it’s my delight to welcome back Shanker Singham and Hena Elsayed from TSS.

We also have David Vallely with us who will be providing an update from HMRC and answer some of the questions you’ve submitted.

Hello everyone, welcome to have you on today’s webinar.

We will hear from them in just a second however we’d like to kick off with a poll.

I’m just going to launch the next poll.

How well do you understand the changes being introduced to the entry summary declaration because of ICS2?

Somewhat well, very well, somewhat unwell, not sure at all or unsure.

While you are answering that a few housekeeping notes from me.

You can ask questions throughout the webinar using the GoToWebinar dashboard.

We have a support team working in the background to address as many of your questions as possible in the chat.

Please keep an eye on that window as many of your questions will be answered there.

If you are TSS registered and have specific questions we ask that you contact the TSS contact centre or raise a case with your query by the TSS portal.

If you are new to TSS or wish to find out about more about it you can send the QR code which will appear on the screen during the presentation or you can use the links that we provide later or simply google Trader Support Service and finally if you are not yet registered with TSS we encourage you to register for this free service so we can support you if you have any specific questions.

Please note that if you opt out of receiving TSS communications you will not receive them and may miss out on communications that highlight resources such as educational webinars.

I can see that most of you have responded so I’m just going to give everyone a couple more seconds.

The jargon buster link is in the chat there.

Please do have a look at it when you get a chance.

I’m going to close the poll in three, two, one.

Thank you everyone that has voted.

For those of you who can’t see it, 2% say they understand it very well, 25% say somewhat well, 21% say somewhat unwell, 35% say not well at all and 16% say unsure.

Thank you for everyone who responded.

We’ll feed those back in.

However on the next slide we’ll move on to our first agenda item and I’m going to hand over to David to provide a recap on ICS2 from HMRC.

Over to you David.

Great thank you.

So yeah we thought it was worth first of all giving a bit more context about ICS2, why we have it and what it does.

So if you are a business that sends goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland and that’s either by parcel or by freight and it’s by that roll-on roll-off ferry, you do need to be aware of these new arrangements for the entry summary declaration which we’ll be referring to as ENS as we did mention a second ago I believe.

So ICS2 is the new safety and security information system for these movements into Northern Ireland but it’s worth noting it’s also for goods moving to the European Union as well.

So what ICS2 does, it does a number of things that we’ve just listed here.

So it supports the lodging of pre-arrival entry summary declarations, again that ENS we mentioned, the notification of arrival of those goods, presentation of the goods and the assessment of the safety and security risk.

So it’s worth noting that safety and security requirements are different to what we look for customs more broadly.

So it’s a slightly different thing we’re looking for and it is around that the safety and security risk is as the name suggests safety and security declarations it kind of does what it says on the tin.

If we could move on to the next slide please.

So why this is happening is in relation to Northern Ireland is this system is replacing the current ICS system for Northern Ireland referred to as ICS NI and you’ll need to be moving to use the ICS2 system to make those entry summary declarations when you’re moving goods by the air maritime road or rail from GB into NI, from countries outside the EU into NI but as I mentioned before also GB to EU.

When we mention here air and maritime some of these have the moves already happened but we’re really focusing on that roll-on roll -off element here today.

So entry summary declarations will only be needed for those business to business parcels or B2B parcels movements from NI to GB under the Windsor Framework.

They’re not required for parcels that are being sent directly to consumers so it’s just worth noting that difference around business to business versus to consumers.

There are some next steps that you really need to be taking and I know we’ll be expanding on this later but it is really important that you are talking to those people in the supply chain moving your goods if they’re doing so on your behalf to ensure that they have the correct information at the correct time to ensure your goods move as smoothly and efficiently as possible.

So ensuring that those data flows and information flows within the supply chain are happening as efficiently as possible it will be key to ensure that smooth flow.

So we’d really encourage you all to be making necessary preparations and having those conversations to understand how best you do that for your specific circumstances as a business in this situation.

So that is a real plea from us here at HMRC and it is something we’ll be reiterating I think throughout today but also in other comms and guidance you’ll be seeing from HMRC around ICS2.

So I cannot emphasise that enough at this point but I shall hand over to if we move to the next slide I believe I am handing over to Shanker at this point.

Yes thanks very much David.

So if we can just go to the slide after this please.

We’re going to talk a little bit about just you know springing off David’s comment about you know making sure you get the information to the person who needs to receive it.

We are going to talk a little bit now about the role of the haulier and the role of the trader.

So I’m sure there are people on this webinar who are you know either hauliers or traders so think about you know your role in the supply chain and what information you need either to input or to provide.

So if you’re a trader obviously you need to be familiar with these processes because you’re going to have to provide certain information to your haulier in order to keep goods moving.

The haulier is the one who completes the entry summary declaration but they will need from you the following things the description of your goods, the six-digit commodity code, the amount of goods, the mass of goods, buyer and seller information, the place of delivery and additional information or supporting documents if there are licenses or certificates that are needed.

So those are the things that you’re going to have to provide if you are a trader to your haulier.

This is why these supply chain conversations are so important, that’s why we stress them so often.

You need to make sure that you’ve got that information and you’re in a position to provide that to the haulier.

If we go to the next slide please.

So if I’m a haulier what do I need to do?

This is the information you need to supply if you’re the haulier, this is the information that you need to include in your entry summary declaration in addition to the stuff that you’re getting from the trader and the customer supplied data.

So you’ll need to provide the type of movement whether that’s accompanied ro-ro, unaccompanied ro-ro.

You need to provide the transport identity i.e. the trailer number, the container number, the truck registration.

You need to provide the party name and address, the carrier, the consignee, the consignor, goods location information, loading information, acceptance and delivery information.

And so there’s a combination of data as you can see here, some of which has to be provided by the haulier, some of which is going to be provided by the trader to the haulier and ultimately it’s the haulier who does the TSS entry for these purposes.

But again really important to talk if you’re a haulier to talk to your customers, familiarise yourself with what the business requirements are for yourself and also the things that you need from your customers and make sure there’s a channel there so that you can get that information at the right time.

We go to the next slide please.

So I’m going to hand over now to Hena who’s going to take us through the specific portal requirements and how you fill that in.

Thank you Shanker.

Good afternoon all.

So I’ll be taking you through the ENS changes in the TSS portal.

If you are a regular user of the TSS portal you may already be aware of the information that is requested by the portal but I think it’s important to highlight what information is being collected by the portal to better understand this.

If we can have the next slide please.

Thank you.

So in the TSS portal information is collected to be used in both the entry summary declaration known as the ENS and for any additional customs declaration or record.

So you can see here on the slide that the diagram shows the information capture on the ENS and how that information is also used for the possible customs journeys.

So most standard goods can avail of the TSS simplified procedure using the TSS’s entry and declarance record authorisation also known as EIDR or for controlled goods a simplified frontier declaration which is automatically created once the ENS has been arrived for the goods movement.

For those traders who are UKIMS authorised they can also benefit from the simplified processes for internal market movements by submitting an internal market movement information pre-movement which is known as an IMMI for goods that are remaining within the market and which have been determined as not at risk.

So although the full frontier declaration is an alternative option to submit information to customs it is separate from the ENS form in the TSS portal.

The majority of movements will require both an ENS and a customs declaration or a record using a simplified data set such as the IMMI.

Can we have the next slide please.

Thank you.

So we’ll be looking at the changes to the ENS in the TSS portal in three parts.

We’ll be looking at it first from the movement header that captures transport information, consignment level that captures consignment information including the parties involved in the movement of the goods and then finally we’ll be looking at the goods record level that captures more specific details about the goods being moved.

So all these changes that we’re going to be looking at will be coming into effect in the portal this Sunday the 13th of July.

In the portal the ENS always begins at the start a goods movement page as shown in this first screenshot on the left hand side.

So the ENS submitter or the haulier would need to click on start a goods movement to get access into the form.

Once in the form the first change to note here is on the type of movement field.

So a screenshot of this is shown on the bottom left of the slide.

The addition of the two RoRo options are available instead of just the one option that users are familiar with.

It’s essentially separating the accompanied and the unaccompanied.

So just for extra information the portal already submits maritime movements to ICS2 and has done so since November 2024.

So if you are a carrier or haulier and you are moving goods via maritime you will already be familiar with these fields that are on the portal for the ENS.

So the existing ICS NI option which is the one that everyone has been using so far for RoRo movements is the RoRo brackets accompanied slash unaccompanied.

This will be removed from September the 1st so that all movements will be submitted to ICS2 and we would encourage users to start using the two new RoRo options to familiarise themselves with the additional requirements and to start having those conversations with their supply chain to gather the information that they would need.

Can we have the next slide please?

Thank you.

So we’re going to be looking at the next field that is affected here for the ENS and this is the identity number of transport.

It is an existing field but now has a specific format.

So you’ll be able to see on the slide that you’ve got two screenshots on this slide for this field and you’ve got specific help text below each field dependent on whether the goods are accompanied or unaccompanied.

So where the goods are moving RoRo unaccompanied it would be the International Maritime Organisation also known as IMO number followed by a hash symbol and then the trailer registration number.

Where the goods are accompanied it is the IMO number followed by a hash symbol and then the vehicle registration number.

If an incorrect format is entered the field will clear and the help text below the field will advise the format that’s required which is visible on the screenshots.

You can get the IMO numbers which are available from the seaferry operator and you may be able to get it from any bookings that you’ve done as well with the ferry operator.

It may be on communications from them.

Can we have the next slide please?

Thank you.

So one of the requirements for ICS2 is the name and address of all the parties involved in the movement.

When we look at the movement header specifically we’re looking at the carrier’s name and address which will be required.

The portal prompts this under the carrier EORI field which is visible as a screenshot on the left of this slide and can auto -populate the name and address if the carrier has not set their details to private in their company profile.

Otherwise the name and address details would need to be entered.

So you can see on this on the slide here that there’s a screenshot that shows the question that’s visible on the company profile which is do you want the company name to be private and in this example it’s been set as no and having it set as no means that the portal can then take the information belonging to the name address details belonging to the entity and auto-populate that information into the carrier’s name and address.

Can we have the next slide please?

Thank you.

So we’ve got a couple of new fields here in the movement header which is the one of them is the places of acceptance.

It is a new field and it is only required for RoRo accompanied movements only and this is there because it needs to be stated where it is different from the place of loading.

So to give an example where the goods have been collected from various places but are then consolidated at a depot or a hub the place of acceptance would be the place where the goods were collected and the place of loading would be where those goods were consolidated and loaded onto the means of transport.

So if you’re collecting goods as a haulier from your customer in Manchester for example that would be your place of acceptance and then if you’re bringing those goods into your depot let’s say in Leeds where you’re consolidating other shipments and other movements for other customers onto the means of transport that’s going to be crossing the border then that would be the place of loading.

So the portal is going to ask under the places of loading field that you can see on the screenshot here is, are the places of acceptance same as place of loading?

If answered yes the portal will take the details from the places of loading and submit that to ICS2 as the places of acceptance.

If no is then selected the new places of acceptance field as you can see on the slide here will be visible and would require completion.

This field should have the name of the location followed by the country code and just a note to say that the portal can accept more than one location so if there is more than one location for either fields they should be entered.

Can we have the next slide please?

Thank you.

The same then applies for the places of delivery again this is only for RoRo accompanied movements it’s not for RoRo unaccompanied just for accompanied.

So again given an example of where it could be different is where the consolidated load is then unloaded at the hub or depot so the load has now arrived in Northern Ireland it’s gone over to the haulier or carrier’s hub it’s then been unloaded there and then those goods have then been put onto smaller vehicles for delivery to the customer.

So in that case the places of unloading would be the location of the hub or the depot and the places of delivery would be the location of the final delivery point.

In the same way as the places of acceptance the portal will ask under the places of unloading field shown in the screenshot on the slide are the places of delivery the same as places of unloading.

So if this is yes the portal takes the information from places of unloading field and then submits that to ICS2 as the places of delivery if it’s a no the new field which is called places of delivery as visible on the slide will require completion.

Again this should be the name of the location followed by the country code and just to reiterate again that the portal can accept more than one location so if there is more than one location for either fields they should be entered here.

So this then concludes all the changes on the movement header.

If we can move on to the next slide please.

So now we’ll be looking at the consignment level and as mentioned earlier when we were looking at the carrier field the ICS2 does require the name and address for all parties.

So over here on the screenshot you can see that the name and address fields for the consignor are required.

If the consignor is a registered entity on the portal and they have not set their details to private on their company profile as depicted by the screenshot on this slide the portal will also auto-populate the name and address details otherwise these details will need to be entered manually.

So this is the same screenshot of the company profile as we saw in the slide that covered the carrier.

Can we have the next slide please.

So the same will then apply to the consignee.

The screenshot here you can see also shows the name and address fields for the consignee as mandatory and again if they are a registered entity on the portal and they’ve not set their details to private on their company profile as depicted on the screenshot here the portal will auto-populate the name and address details otherwise those details would need to be entered manually.

Can we move on to the next slide please.

So now we’re looking at the importer and the same here is required.

You’ll see the screenshot here for the importer as well showing that the name and address fields have got a red asterisk against them so they are mandatory fields.

If they have not set their details to private on their company profile again as shown on the slide the portal will then auto -populate the name and address details otherwise those details will need to be entered manually.

Can we move to the next slide please.

Perfect.

So for the exporter the same applies here as it did for the importer.

You’ll see the screenshot for the name and address fields for the exporter that are required.

Again if they are a registered entity on the portal and they have not set their details to private on the company profile then the portal will auto-populate the name and address details otherwise the details would need to be entered manually.

If we can move on to the next slide please.

Thank you.

So another requirement for ICS2 is requiring information regarding who the buyer and the seller is as they could be different from the importer and exporter.

So you’ll see a screenshot that shows what the portal will be asking under the importer field and it’s a question that says are the buyers EORI name and address is different from the importer.

So the same applies under the exporter field as shown in the second screenshot.

The portal will ask under this field are the sellers name and address EORI if provided the same as the exporter and then we have some definitions as well on what the buyer and the seller is.

Can we please move to the next slide.

So where yes is selected to say yes the buyer’s EORI name and address is the same as the importer or whether it’s yes to say the seller’s name and address EORI you’ve provided is the same as the exporter’s then the importer’s details will be used as the buyer and the exporter’s details will be used as the seller to fulfill this requirement.

If no is selected then the name and address details of these parties will be required as shown in the screenshots on this slide.

So the buyer and the seller EORI is not mandatory but should be entered if known.

Can we have the next slide please.

Okay so the container indicator is also a mandatory field for ICS2 and is defaulted by the portal to goods not transported in containers as shown in the screenshot on this slide.

This should only be changed to goods transported in containers if the goods are being moved in a registered seafaring container.

For instance those that belong to shipping lines such as Maersk or Hapag-Lloyd or CMA CGM those are just examples of the various shipping lines.

If goods are being moved on a curtain -sided trailer or on pallets for example these are not registered shipping containers so the default of goods not transported in containers should remain.

So all of this now concludes the changes at the consignment level.

If you can move to the next slide please.

So now we’re moving on to the final part of the ENS form which is looking at the goods record level and ICS2 as we’ve heard on the previous webinar and on the recap today requires a minimum of a six-digit commodity code.

So in the portal where standard goods are being moved the commodity code field will be filtered down to six digits as shown in the screenshot.

So any user will only be able to select from a list of six-digit commodity codes.

Where controlled goods are being moved the requirement for the commodity code is 10 digits again shown in the screenshot here.

There is no change here this has always been the case and is a requirement to be fulfilled for a simplified frontier declaration for those movements using the TSS simplified procedure.

TSS will automatically take the first six digits of the 10-digit code for submission to ICS2.

For movements where the IMMI is being completed pre-movements so that is for the UKIMS authorised traders who are moving not-at-risk goods and are eligible to use the simplified processes for internal market movements there is no change here either as there is a minimum six-digit commodity code requirement for an IMMI.

So whether a six or eight or 10 -digit code is used TSS will automatically submit the first six digits to ICS2.

Can we have the next slide please?

Okay so we’re going to be looking at the equipment number now which also becomes a mandatory field which is visible here on the screen.

If the container indicator field that we looked at earlier has been changed to goods transported in containers this is when this equipment number if containerized becomes mandatory.

The registered shipping containers identification number should be entered here in the field and it should be in the format of four letters followed by seven numbers.

So examples of this are visible on the slide so you can see there’s a Maersk container number as an example could be MAEU1234567 or a CMA CGM container which could be CMAU1234567.

Can we have the next slide please?

Thank you.

So now we’ll be looking at the goods description which has always been required but this field will now ensure that stop words are not accepted as a goods description.

So stop words are a list of words determined by the EU as non-specific and generic words or phrases to describe the goods being moved.

So you can see on this on the slide here on the left hand side you’ve got a table showing examples of stop words and then examples of acceptable goods descriptions for those stop words.

So looking at one of the examples here we’ve got clothing.

Clothing is an example of a stop as a stop word that describes general clothing but when you go into more detail such as women’s cotton dresses small that would be an acceptable goods description.

The list of stop words can be found on the European Union’s official document sharing hub called CIRCABC and the screenshots of the web page are shown on the slide on the right hand side.

This list is updated regularly so we would advise the list is previewed often.

If I can have the next slide please.

So the portal is going to prevent the use of stop words on their own so if a stop word is used the portal will clear the field and a red warning pop-up message as displayed on the screenshot here will indicate that the word is not acceptable and the submitter would need to enter a more accurate description.

So the goods description field will also have help text visible below it as shown in the second screenshot of this slide.

It will provide a link to the goods description guide available on the NICTA website to assist the submitter or the trader in how to formulate an accurate goods description.

So this concludes all the ENS changes in the TSS portal.

I believe I’m passing this back to Shanker.

Thank you.

Just before Shanker takes centre stage again and she’d like to return to launch the second of our three polls for today.

So this one is which of the following best describes your current situation regarding the information required to submit an ENS?

So this is the way of reflecting on the last section that was run on today’s agenda so I’ll just launch that now.

So this poll helps us gauge readiness for the 1st of September when ICS2 will become mandatory for all roll-on roll-off movements.

Is that the best insight response options have been split out for treads and hauliers such keeping out there.

So thank you for your responses so far.

I dropped in the link that Hena mentioned so please have a look in the chat.

It has all the relevant parts of the relevant stop words there.

So do let us know if you have any questions.

Throughout today’s webinar our speakers do reiterate the importance of familiarising yourself with the information requirements of ICS2 and having those conversations with clients or hauliers to make sure you have the submission information to create the entry summary declaration.

So about 70% of you have already responded.

I’ll give everyone about another couple of seconds before I close it.

So closing in five, four, three, two, one.

Okay thank you very much.

I’m just going to share the results now.

So 38% say they provide this information that’s traders.

13% say they receive this information as hauliers.

14% say they have a to do this by the 1st September.

20% say they do not have a plan in place yet and 16% say it’s not applicable to their role.

Thank you for sharing as always.

Like I said it does help us gauge responses and let us know what we’re doing.

If you have any further suggestions for how we can further support in the run for the 1st September please keep an eye out on the exit survey where we provide some direct feedback.

Okay that’s enough from me.

On the next slide I believe I hand back over to Shanker.

Thanks Shanker.

Yes thanks very much Phil.

Just before we go on to the changes for API users just to reflect back on that portal, sorry reflect back on the poll.

There does seem to be a bit of a gap between the number of traders who think they’re providing information versus the percentage that think they’re getting information.

So obviously those supply chain conversations are really crucial.

If you are a haulier who feels like you’re not getting information from your customers please do reach out and similarly for traders please ensure that your haulier knows and has a confidence level that they’ve got, they’re getting the information from you that they need.

So I’m now going to talk about the changes for API users.

So if we can go to the next slide.

So TSS API users are able now to start integrating these new requirements.

There is a test environment for unaccompanied RoRo movements.

That test environment was available from the 13th of May of this year and the environment, the test environment for accompanied has been available since the 30th of June of this year.

So please make, if you’re an API user, please make use of those environments.

The API reference guide is available online.

All of this material is on the NICTA website.

The API key data requirements include the ones that you see listed there, as we’ve discussed previously, the identity number of the transport, carrier name and address, name and address fields for the importer and the exporter, name and address fields for consignor consignee, that six-digit commodity code, and the equipment number if it’s a containerised movement.

Please do, if you’re a TSS API user, refer to the ICS2 information that’s available on NICTA.

We are also providing a lot of information on bulletins and just to reflect on something that came up, I think, in the questions, if you do have questions on ICS2, please raise a case on the portal.

It’s the only way that we know that you have questions and you need support and you need help.

So raise a case and TSS personnel will address your concerns and questions.

We go to the next slide, please.

So I’m now just going to talk a little bit about the next steps.

So if we can go to the next slide.

So in terms of our readiness timeline, this backdates to some of the things that, as you’ll see, have already happened.

So I mentioned the test, API test environment available for RoRo accompanied and for RoRo unaccompanied.

But you see there, the communication for API users on ICS2 has already been released.

It’s already available on NICTA.

We’ve had one webinar already on ICS2, that is available on NICTA.

I think it was a question about whether this would be available.

Of course, all of our webinars are available on NICTA.

This one, the second one on ICS2 will be available very shortly on NICTA as well.

Please look out for regular HMRC and TSS communications on gov.uk and in the TSS bulletin.

The portal ICS2 live environment, we mentioned the 13th of July is the operative date for that going live, which is just next week.

TSS guides will continue to be updated and published.

So please look out for those.

We’re conscious that this is a lot of information, but we also feel that, you know, once you understand what you need to provide, you can get into the rhythm of providing it.

And as you’ve noted, as you will have noted from Hena’s presentation, there is quite a lot of TSS.

The TSS portal will pre-populate, will do a lot of things for you.

For example, it will reduce that 10-digit commodity code down to a 6-digit commodity code automatically.

I think there was a question about that as well.

And then very important date, obviously the 1st of September is the end of the ICS NI system.

So you will not be able to use the ICS NI system.

It’s no longer available for RoRo movements after the 1st of September.

If we go to the next slide, please.

So what do I need to know now?

Obviously we’ve now had two seminars.

We got a lot of information on the NICTA library.

Please familiarise yourself with the ICS2 business requirements.

The single most important thing I think to take away is talk to your, if you’re a haulier, talk to your customers.

If you’re a trader, talk to your haulier to figure out when you’re going to be able to provide the information that they need so that your goods can move.

And work out between yourselves, what is the best way, who are the contact points, what is the channel that you’re using to communicate and to provide that information in a timely manner.

You might need to train some staff to do this, allocate some resources, identify some people within your operation to update those business processes so that you have this system in place.

And once again, once you have the system in place, we think that the TSS portal will do a lot for you.

But we can’t do anything if you’re not providing that information and you don’t have that system in place.

What happens if you’re not ready on time?

Well, first of all, the most important thing is to be ready on time.

We’ve given you a lot of information prior to September 1st.

There’s some time between now and then to make sure that you’ve got all the information you need to know, you’ve figured out the supply chain conversations, you’re having the conversations between the haulier and the trader.

So take all these actions to ensure that you are ready.

Because if there isn’t sufficient information to create the ENS after that 1st of September date, then the TSS will not be able to provide you with the movement reference number, which is needed to create the goods movement reference for the GVMS system in order for your goods to move.

So this is very, very important.

Please make sure you’re ready.

Don’t wait until the 1st of September.

You need to be doing all of this now.

And of course, as always, support is available from the Trader Support Service.

But again, I reiterate the point, please raise a case.

If you have a question, please raise a case with the Trader Support Service on the portal.

That’s the only way we know that you have questions and that we can respond and make sure that you’re able to do everything you need to do to make sure these goods or goods can move smoothly.

And if we go to the next slide, please.

So if you’re currently a user, TSS user, you can continue to submit the entry summary declarations subject to all the information that we’ve given you.

The TSS software will enable you to transition to ICS2 by the 1st of September.

We are going to be continuing to give you updates.

Look out for the TSS bulletin.

There’ll be a lot of updates there.

Look out for gov.uk There will be a lot of updates on there as well over the next few weeks.

Now, you must provide TSS with the relevant data for ICS2 in order for us to submit the declarations on your behalf so that you can get the GMR so that the goods can move smoothly from GB to Northern Ireland.

If we go to the next slide, please.

So I think we’re now into Q&A, Phil.

I don’t know if there’s anything else you wanted to raise with regards to the polls or anything else.

No, thank you, Shanker.

So firstly, before we get on to the Q&A, I’d like to thank our speakers, Shanker, Hena and David.

Also, thank you to everyone in the audience for asking questions prior to and during this webinar.

Before we go into the Q&A, the final poll from me, upon today’s webinar, how well do you understand how to create an ENS in the TSS portal following changes due to ICS2?

So whilst you do that, I’ll take the opportunity to remind you that if you are TSS registered and if you have further questions that have not been answered today within the webinar, we ask that you contact the TSS contact centre or raise the question via case in the TSS portal.

If you are not yet registered with TSS, we encourage you to sign up for this service, for this free service, so that we can support you if you have any specific questions.

So we’re approaching 50% voting.

Thank you, as always.

I will share the results in a second.

So five, four, three, two, one.

I’m just going to close the poll now.

Thank you, as always, to everyone who’s voted.

We do take these into account in the future.

So I’ll just come closing and sharing the results.

So 15% said very well in study.

64% said somewhat well.

10% said somewhat unwell.

7% said not well at all.

And 4% said they were unsure.

So I’m just going to hide the results.

I’d like to welcome back Shanker, Hena and David.

Before that, thank you for responding to the insights.

Let’s move on to some of the questions.

So the first question I have is to Shanker.

It’s covering what you presumably said in the last section of the presentation.

How will this affect API users?

So as I said, the additional data that’s required for API traders has already been communicated by the TSS to all our current API users.

So if you are an API user and for some reason you think you haven’t been communicated with, then please again communicate with us and tell us because we think that all of our API users have been communicated with.

Obviously, the test system I mentioned for API users is live.

It was live for unaccompanied on the 13th of May for accompanied from the 30th of June.

So it is live.

You can test it.

You can take the benefit of it now.

And we’d obviously strongly encourage people to do that.

And just before I close with that question, Phil, just I’m encouraged by the poll result at the end.

There seemed to be a big uptick in people who sort of understood the processes.

Again, if you’re one of those people who thought this was a lot of information and you don’t really understand the process, please don’t sort of stew on your own.

Please raise a case with the TSS.

We will make sure that support is put around you so that you can carry on trading as efficiently and easily as possible.

Brilliant.

Thank you, Shanker.

So the second question is to Hena.

Please explain how this will work for carriers who are processing a high number of declarations each night.

Thanks, Phil.

I think I need to kind of allude a little bit more back to the previous answer that Shanker gave regarding the API users.

So if the carrier is an existing API user who’s raising the ENS on the TSS, we would encourage the carrier to ensure that the additional data fields required for the introduction to ICS2 are captured and submitted by the API.

They need to make sure that they are having conversations within the supply chain to obtain the data in a timely manner and to reduce any possible delays.

As Shanker alluded before, the test system for API users has been available since the 30th of June for both unaccompanied and accompanied movements.

And if any carriers need or wish to get more information on the use of a TSS API for ENS or there’s a carrier who would like to use it and doesn’t know how to or would like to, then please raise a case by the TSS portal and clearly state API in the case short description so that a member of the team can then assist even if the carrier would be new or the haulier would be new to using the TSS API.

Thank you, Hena.

And this next one is to David.

How will this work with bulk loads with hundreds of different commodity codes?

I think the answer is probably going to connect to the previous answers as well.

So this is where the ENS submitter, if it is the haulier, needs to really ensure that they’re getting the correct information from their customer via the supply chain.

So again, have those conversations, ensure you’re getting the correct information when you need it in a timely manner to meet those additional data requirements for ICS2 to create the ENS and then the goods can move without delay.

If this applies to those really large quantities of data, the use of the API that was previously mentioned is potentially beneficial there as well.

As I say, a slight broken record there perhaps on having those conversations with the supply chain.

But I think that helps to highlight how important it is and how many problems it can help alleviate if those conversations are had sooner rather than later.

Thank you, David.

A question for Shanker here.

Is the haulier responsible for completing the ENS and not us, the supplier?

That’s a good question.

So it enables me to, again, distinguish between the safety and security process and the customs process.

Those are two different processes.

If you’re the supplier of goods, importer of record, you’re the trader, to use the language that we’ve used in this webinar, you’re responsible for the customs process.

It is the haulier, the carrier, the person who’s moving the goods, who is responsible for the ENS.

The ENS is the safety and security process.

So the way the TSS system works is the haulier puts in that information in their ENS declaration, which generates some of the initial stages of the customs movement.

And the importer of record is communicated with regard to either the supplementary declaration or the other aspects of the customs process if you’re utilising those.

But keeping in mind that with respect to the ENS which is the safety and security declaration, the information that is put in there, that is the obligation of the haulier to do that.

Thank you, Shanker.

Another question for you from the live chat.

If we as a haulier use a third -party haulier to transport goods on our behalf, do we need to complete the ICS2 process?

And in a little bit of context, we provide TSS entries on behalf of our customers currently.

Okay.

So I’m going to interpret that, the fact that they complete TSS entries on behalf of their customers to mean that they’re talking there about either the entry into declarant record or the supplementary declaration, in other words, the customs process.

And that this company uses a different entity to actually carry the goods, a different haulier to carry the goods.

Across the GB NI boundary, it is the person who’s the carrier of the goods across the GB NI boundary who has the obligation to do the ENS declaration.

So you can carry on doing the customs piece for your customers if that’s what makes their life easier.

But just be aware that it’s the, if you’re getting that information from your customers in order to do the customs declaration for them, then you’re going to have to provide to your third-party haulier, all of those things, the commodity code, the goods description, all of those things that we talked about earlier, so that they can actually do the ENS.

Thank you, Shanker.

And thank you for the questions.

Please do keep them rolling in.

A question for David.

David, where do we find the commodity codes?

Good to clarify the NI Online tariff, but also if you’re a haulier, emphasise the supply chain.

Yeah.

So where do we find the commodity codes?

Yeah.

So we do on gov.uk have a commodity code tool whereby you can put in a description and it will provide a number of suggested potential quality codes that would match that good that you’re trying to move.

So we’ve tried to make that as easy as possible.

Equally, if you’re more interested than others, there is the full list within the tariff of all the different commodity codes under the different headers, depending on which goods you’re looking for.

I would recommend using the tool.

It’ll probably save you a lot of time, but it is fairly user-friendly.

I’ve had to play around with it a few times myself just to get a better understanding.

Alternatively, if you are the haulier in this and don’t have as good an understanding, I know, broken record again, but work with the supplier who will have a better understanding of what those goods are and the best way to categorise them and give them an accurate commodity code.

Thank you, David.

So a question for Hena.

If the customer has an EORI number but is not registered with TSS, is there a supplementary field we can fill out?

Okay, so that’s a good question.

So if the customer hasn’t got an EORI number, has got an EORI number, sorry, but they’re not registered, then per what we said in the webinar, that’s the ENS and the customs journeys are separate.

So you can submit an ENS only using the TSS with no customs declaration if this is done outside of the TSS or if you want to use a TSS simplified procedure or submit an IMMI on the TSS, then the importer must be TSS registered to do this.

So if you’re using the customer’s details for them to be the importer, then they need to be registered on the TSS for the customs side of the journey.

However, the hauliers and carriers can continue doing an ENS only as the customer’s not registered with the TSS.

Thank you, Hena.

Another question for you.

What if a customer has not registered with TSS or UKIMS?

Okay, so again, the emphasis for UKIMS is that it’s needed for the customs side of the journey.

So you would use UKIMS to confirm that the goods that are moving are not at risk.

Having a UKIMS authorisation does not negate the requirement for an entry summary declaration and they are two separate things.

So having a UKIMS authorisation does not mean that an entry summary declaration does not get completed because they are two separate processes.

Thank you, Hena.

A question for David.

Will these data sets be mandatory from Sunday the 13th or following the September deadline?

So it’s the September deadline.

What we have is what’s been referred to as a deployment window.

So we’re currently in that deployment window where you can register to use ICS2.

But then as you say, it picks up for use as of, I believe it’s the 13th, but it will be mandatory from the 1st of September when those other systems are turned off and everything moves to ICS2.

Thank you, David.

A follow-up question we’ve got already.

Obviously the test system will already allow us for selecting ICS2 option like accompanied, but when will the live system start accepting them?

Obviously it needs to be transitioned by September.

I’m not too sure off the top of my head on that one.

I’ll take that way and double check just to make sure.

There’s a few moving parts there to make sure you get the 100% accurate answer on that one.

Thank you, David.

So if you’ve got any further questions, just a reminder, you can raise a TSS ticket on the system.

We’ve got another couple of a few minutes before we end.

So just sort of to bring things to a close naturally, we’ve always had a few polls today, one of which showing that 64 % said, following today’s webinar, I’ll just share the results again, they now understood how to create an ENS somewhat well in the TSS portal.

Just as a final sort of reflection piece from everyone involved, do you have any final bits of advice on sort of how to prepare for this?

What can we change?

Shanker, can we start with you?

Sure.

Yeah.

I mean, I think it’s encouraging that number raised during the course of the webinar in terms of people who are more comfortable with the requirements.

Where I would focus, though, is the sort of disparity between the hauliers who felt they were getting information, which was, I think, about 13%, and the traders who felt they were giving information, which was like about 38% or something.

So there’s obviously a little bit of a disparity there.

That suggests to me that there aren’t as many of these supply chain conversations happening as there perhaps could be.

Not to panic, but you’ve got time now to have those supply chain conversations.

So particularly if you’re a haulier in that sort of, what is it, 87% group that think they’re not getting information, pick up the phone, talk to your customers and figure out how to have that communication.

So I think if I was to leave one takeaway of the whole thing today is have the conversations.

If you’re in any doubts, raise a ticket with the TSS, call us, and I think we can get you there.

Thanks, Shanker.

Hena, a few words from yourself.

Yeah, I want to sort of just say that because these changes to the TSS portal are coming live on the 13th of July, my suggestion would be start using them now, just so that you familiarise yourself with the portal and what’s required.

It will then make it easier to understand what pieces of information you are missing and what information that you then need to get from your customers.

So my suggestion and takeaway from this, as well as what Shanker has said, is to start using the two new options for RoRo to familiarise with what is required before the 1st of September.

Thank you, Hena.

David, we’ve got about two minutes left, so if we get a quick 30 seconds’ worth from you and we can take it to close.

I’d agree with both Shanker and Hena there.

Don’t wait, make sure you’re getting the right quality of information in now.

There are some new data requirements, get used to those sooner rather than later, but my one selling line is there is guidance out there, there are other resources and other future webinars and products that will be coming out around this, so please do engage with the information that’s available.

There’s information available on the EU websites as well, so please do just engage with this information and don’t finish here today in 30 seconds’ time.

Please do go away and take this as the first step, not the final step.

Thank you, David, and thank you everyone.

So just quickly on the next slide, you’ll see all the information and how you can get further support from GOV.UK, NICTA and TSS, including a scannable QR code to the TSS websites, just to make it easier for you as well.

I’m also posting links in the chat there, so do click on them at your convenience.

Please know that a recording of this webinar will be uploaded to NICTA shortly.

NICTA also hosts the TSS bulletin, which contains information for TSS users and can be sent by email to subscribers.

Again, if you have any specific further questions, we ask that you contact the TSS contact centre on the number provided and our agents will be best to support you.

However, I’d like to take the opportunity to thank everyone for attending, particularly our speakers, Shanker, Hena and David.

Thank you for responding to all the poll questions.

And just a quick reminder on the post -webinar survey, if you provide any feedback, the TSS service would like to provide further support.

But after all that, it leaves to me to say thank you for attending and I look forward to seeing you at the next webinar.

Thanks, everyone.

Thank you.