Companies to get financial support to hire staff to cope with customs

Companies that need to take on staff to cope with new Brexit-related customs formalities will be able to access Government financial support.

The Government-backed Clear Customs programme offers a six-week free training course and will also provide up to €6,000 each per trainee to companies recruiting staff to help them comply with the new customs procedures.

The number of customs declarations required is expected to rapidly increase due to Brexit, from 1.6 million annually to an estimated 20 million after the UK leaves the European Union.

Clear Customs is intended to help industry prepare for the new customs requirements by ensuring they have a detailed understanding of the procedures.

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Once the UK leaves the EU it will be officially classed as a ‘third country’ with any goods imported or exported to or from the UK requiring a customs declaration and payment of duties. Goods shipped from the Republic to the European continent, via the UK ‘land bridge’, will be classified as transit goods, and would also require a customs declaration.

The new programme has been developed by Skillnet Ireland in partnership with Enterprise Ireland and key industry bodies.

"If you trade with the UK, Brexit will most definitely impact your business. This targeted measure is aimed at supporting and incentivising capacity building in the customs agent sector," said the Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe.

The initiative is the latest in a series of moves to help companies facing difficulties once the UK departs.

Other actions have included the rolling out of customs training courses across the State through both the Local Enterprise Offices and Enterprise Ireland, and the introduction of changes to the employment permit system to allow an additional 300 workers to come to Ireland for customs roles.

The UK is often the first export market for Irish businesses. In addition, an estimated two-thirds of exporters make use of the land bridge to access European markets.