Managing exports after Brexit
As a result of leaving the European Union, retailers have new challenges and implications to deal with when trading internationally.
This will be especially important if your website automates actions related to international transactions, whether related to supplier management or customer-facing eCommerce.
Rules for exporting to the EU have changed and it's important that you investigate your industry for new regulations that may affect your business and website.
Below are a few examples of key changes for businesses exporting to the EU but if you have particular concerns or queries, we recommend that you seek specific legal advice.
The Export Module is a new addition to the IXO Commerce platform.
IXO Commerce caters to a variety of retailers from B2B with INTUS, core eCommerce with XTRO and omnichannel retailers with OMNIS.
gov.co.uk
If you sell, send or transfer goods out of the UK you do not normally need to charge VAT on them.
The way VAT is charged has changed, unless you are shipping from Northern Ireland. Previously VAT was chargeable on all sales shipped within the EU that were despatched from the UK. Now the that UK has left the European Union, it is treated as a 'Third Country'.
However, if you are despatching from Northern Ireland, VAT is still chargeable. If you are a Northern Irish retailer, we would recommend that you investigate the government website for more information.
IXO Commerce is ready for your export needs, but if you have any questions, why not contact us?
The EU has released an eCommerce Directive which dictates the ways in which eCommerce companies trading within its boundaries should behave. If you sell to customers within the European Economic Area (EEA) this may apply to you, and you may wish to seek legal advice.
Would you like to know more?The current government advice for exporting to the UK has changed a lot. Head to the government website for a step by step guide on the new process. You may need to apply for specific licenses to export your goods, arrange export declarations and prepare correct invoices plus other relevant documentation.
Would you like to know more?You will not be able to move your goods into or out of the EU without one. If you do not have an EORI, you may have increased costs and delays. For example, if HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) cannot clear your goods you may have to pay storage fees.
Would you like to know more?There will also be changes for retailers when dealing with European suppliers. Some examples include paying tariffs on imports, registering for transportation and regulations on importing chemicals. You can read more about these on our Brexit information page.
Would you like to know more?A new feature on our IXO Commerce platform, the Export Module functions to simplify aspects of the new export process since Brexit. Dropdowns for Country of Origin and fields for codes at a product level feed through to documentation. A new report on the CMS allows retailers to get a clearer picture of international sales.
Fields will be available on product pages to input Country of Origin and ‘HS Tariff Number/Commodity' codes
These codes will be added to invoices, order confirmations and the order detail page
Country of Origin and HS Tariff Number/Commodity codes will be included per line
A new report will be added to the CMS providing a total of sales where the goods were delivered to a country within the given period.
If your site currently uses a courier integration we may need to explore sharing export information with couriers. It is also important to check if your courier produces all export paperwork.
It's important to check if you pay the full 'landed cost' of the items (including tariffs, delivery, fees, etc) on behalf of your customer, or if you expect the customer to foot the bill.
If you pay these fees and pass the cost onto the customer, you may need to consider a specialist integration to manage this process. Some examples of such service providers are Zonos or Global-E.
Contact us to talk about any integrations you may wish to set up.
Contact us if you want to know how!
We already know that the site maintenance will be a lot easier with the IXO Commerce.
Brian Hume, Martec International
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