Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Trader Support Service will provide assistance on (a) SPS checks and (b) the transiting of Northern Ireland to Great Britain goods via Dublin port.

The Trader Support Scheme will offer core services focusing on both trader education and the completion of customs processes.

• In relation to trader education, the Service will:

o educate businesses on what the Protocol means for them, and the steps they need to take to comply with them (including getting relevant Economic Operators Registration and Identification (EORI) numbers)

o support businesses developing processes to accurately provide the Trader Support Service with all the information it needs to submit declarations on their behalf (including information on the ‘risk’ status of the goods)

o advise businesses on the additional documents/licences that they will need (for example, a permit is needed to import endangered species (CITES) goods).

• In relation to completing processes, the Service will:

o submit relevant declarations into CDS (and hold the necessary authorisations required for simplified declarations)

o submit relevant safety and security declarations into HMRC’s Import Control System (ICS)

The Trader Support Service will be able to help all traders who need the service, regardless of size and at no additional cost, to support businesses with changes to trade under the Northern Ireland Protocol.