Humanitarian shipments to Türkiye are exempt from permits

Vehicles that are carrying aid to Türkiye are not required to have journey authorisation, nor are drivers required to have a work visa.

What is GVMS?

The Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS) is a system that import and export clearances are uploaded to when goods are moving by road between the UK and the EU.

What is a freeport?

A freeport is an area that benefits from suspended or preferential trading rules on certain commodities. This allows your goods to be imported for manufacturing without the need to pay full duty or VAT.

The EU has taken action to support customs reform in several areas. These include IT transformation, joining the Convention on a Common Transit Procedure, implementing an Authorised Economic Operator Program and bringing Ukrainian customs legislation in line with the customs rules and regulations in the European Union. Digitalisation and open communication between companies and customs and tax authorities are at the heart of these reforms.

Terneuzen lies in Zeeland in the southwest of the Netherlands and is part of the North Sea Port. The Terneuzen canal, which runs from Terneuzen to Gent, is an important shipping route. Ships need to go through locks in Terneuzen to enter the canal. To increase the capacity of the locks and to allow larger vessels to enter the canal, the new lock is under construction.

Simplified Customs Procedures 

Many national Customs Authorities have implemented simplified procedures for shipments of humanitarian goods to Ukraine and surrounding countries like Poland, Moldova, etc. 

A few examples of Customs Authorities that have released statements on simplified procedures: 

The United Kingdom: 

Russia-bound Containers Stopped by Dutch Customs in Rotterdam 

This past weekend Dutch Customs has blocked all containers that were Russia-bound because of the sanctions the European Union implemented against Russia. The Dutch Customs Authority will start clearing containers and release them as soon as they have determined there are no sanctioned goods in the shipment.

The EU has announced sanctions against Russia: 

The EU will prohibit the sale, supply, transfer or export to Russia of specific goods and technologies in oil refining, and will introduce restrictions on the provision of related services. 

The Goods Vehicle Movement Service is a customs system of the British Customs Authority designed to speed up clearances of vehicles arriving from the EU by allowing pre-lodgement of the manifest. When goods are shipped from China, there is ample time to process documents and clear shipments. The ferry from the European Union reaches the United Kingdom in two hours, which means trucks could end up waiting for clearance, creating delays and blockage at the port.

Expanding Our Gas Measurement Services Portfolio

Next to a highly experienced and knowledgeable team, we have also added a new service to our portfolio. With the addition of GOC Rotterdam we now also offer a unique drive-in measurement and degassing station in the Port of Rotterdam. At the new drive-in facility at Nieuwesluisweg 200 in Rotterdam customers can drop off containers from 6:00 in the morning until 19:00 in the afternoon. Gas measurement and degassing take place between 6:00 and 19:00.