During 2020
and the lead up to the end of the BREXIT transition period, The Ashton Group
spent time preparing our supply chain in readiness for a range of outcomes.
Many of our
customers were asking us what preparations we had made to mitigate any risk to
our ability to supply products during this period of uncertainty, so we
prepared a document of commonly asked questions and answers.
In the
month since the end of the BREXIT transition period we have expanded upon these
questions and answers. Please find these below, if there is anything that
we have not covered please let us know.
Can you
confirm that you have registered your company with customs to trade
internationally and you have an EORI number?
Yes we have
an EORI number - GB728055727000
Can you
confirm that you can provide appropriate customs paperwork to accompany
shipments?
Ashtons are
already supplying products Worldwide so this is normal procedure.
Can you
confirm that the commercial invoice will include tariff codes for each product?
Yes our
invoices will include tariff codes.
Can you
confirm your invoice will include country of origin for the product?
No we do
not include this as standard on our invoices but we can provide country of
origin, please request this at point of order or contact our sales team who
will be happy to help.
Will you
use customs agents and can you confirm you have in place logistics partners to
manage your deliveries?
Our freight
contract is with UPS who manage the process for us and we are in regular
communication with them. If you have any questions regarding freight to any
areas please contact our sales team.
What
incoterms do you use to supply goods?
We normally
supply to EXW (Exworks) terms unless specially requested different and
contractually agreed at point of order.
Will there be a brokerage/clearance fee?
Yes this is
included in our UPS freight charge.
Do you have a clearly defined intrastat process?
We currently operate a clearly defined intrastat process in
accordance with HMRC requirements.
Is your VAT process fully compliant with Brexit
guidelines?
Our VAT process is fully compliant with HMRC Brexit
guidelines.
Do you have an active deferment account?
Our deferment account number is 8192198.
Do your products still conform to REACH regulations?
On 22 May 2020, it was formally
announced the UK will not be seeking associate membership of the European
Chemicals Agency (ECHA) or participation in the EU’s Registration, Evaluation,
Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (EU REACH) framework. The UK will
launch its own, independent chemicals regulatory framework, to be called “UK
REACH”. This regime will be based on EU REACH. The Health and Safety Executive
(HSE), working in partnership with the Department for Environment, Food and
Rural Affairs (Defra), will take an equivalent role to that of the ECHA and a
new database of registered substances will be created, reliant on a new UK
REACH IT system, currently under development. Our customers will
therefore see no change.
Can you
advise of any other potential impacts that we need to be aware of that have
arisen from your Brexit preparation?
It is
Ashtons key objective to ensure that our customers do not experience any
interruptions to the supply of our products.
We would
urge customers to continue bring forward any purchase orders where possible as
a safety factor to allow for any potential delays.
Extend lead
times within your IT System to ensure sufficient contingency within your
inventory levels.
Please note
that Ashtons will not order extra stock for customers without purchase order
commitment as this could cause liability issues at a later date.
We believe
that we have taken all measures possible to address known areas of concern and
we hope that you find this document helpful.
Please be
assured that we continue to make every effort to mitigate risks and ensure
continuity of supply to our valued customers.
If you wish
to discuss any more specific details regarding your account or the products
that you purchase from Ashtons please do not hesitate to contact our Sales
Team.
Your
business is important to us and we assure you of our best attention at all
times.