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Dear Customers

The United Kingdom formally left the European Union on January 31, 2020 at 23:00 UK time, i.e. midnight Central European Time. However, the transition period, during which the UK remained in the EU customs union and internal market, lasted until December 31, 2020. From January 1, 2021, the United Kingdom was treated as a third country in the context of trade with the EU. From January 31, 2020, the United Kingdom is not part of the European Union. The country imports mainly to the Member States of the European Union (over 40%), then to the United States, Ireland, China and Switzerland.

 

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UK trade with the EU is dominated by:

machinery and equipment (21.4%)
chemical industry products (17.4%)
transport equipment (13.1%)
products from raw materials (9.1%)
metals and metal products (5.6%).

What to import from Great Britain to Poland?

Imports from Great Britain to Poland amount to over PLN 21.8 million (2.1% share in Poland’s imports). For comparison, exports to Great Britain amount to over PLN 60.7 million, i.e. 5.7% of total Polish exports.

The most popular products imported from Great Britain to Poland are:

  • machines and mechanical and electrical devices and their parts
  • vehicles, ships, planes and other means of transport
  • chemical industry products.

UK import duty:

With the UK leaving the European Union, new trade barriers have emerged, such as customs controls. The EU-UK agreement entered into force on 1 May 2021 and it does not only apply to Northern Ireland (it remains in the customs union with the EU). Under the agreement, the country left the customs union, but there are no customs duties in trade between the European Union and the United Kingdom. You can take advantage of zero duty rates if the goods meet certain requirements – the goods must, among other things, be come from Great Britain, which is confirmed by a statement. Customs rates for products from Great Britain can be seen in the ISZTAR (for Poland) and TARIC (for the EU) systems. For UK (United Kingdom) products, the duty on the relevant row in the product group tab applies. Below are examples of duty rates for the most popular product groups imported from Great Britain:
tablets (8471300000) – 0%
projectors (8528620000) – 0%
seat belts (8708211000) – 0%
semi-finished silver (7106920000) – 0%
turkey breast, frozen (0207275000) – 0%
rattan seats (9401530000) – 0%
stuffed cocoa preparations (1806310000) – 0%
new vehicles with an electric motor (8703801000) – 0%.

Sea freight from Great Britain:

Although 90% of goods in the world are transported by sea, it is not a popular method for transport from the UK to Poland. Sea freight is low, but the waiting time for the shipment is several weeks.

Air transport from Great Britain:

The fastest method of transporting goods is air freight. Due to the high costs, it pays off when transporting perishable and luxury goods. Total transit time is 1-3 days.

Road transport from Great Britain:

Road transport is the most popular method of transporting goods from Great Britain to Poland. Transit time takes 3-5 days according to carriers’ offers. An undeniable advantage of road transport is door-to-door delivery.

Import from Great Britain step by step:

Regardless of which country you import goods from, the import process is similar. We present import from Great Britain step by step:

Register your business.
Apply for an EORI number.
Register in the Waste Database.
Find a supplier in the UK, for example at trade fairs (Pure London, The London Textile Fair, The Property Investor Show, Natural & Organic Products Europe) or on B2B e-commerce platforms.
Verify the certificates and documents required for importing certain products.
Order samples to see the quality of the products.
Perform quality control during and after production.
Pay for the order (with an advance payment or in tranches).
It’s time to transport the goods (compare the offers of forwarders on ShipHub.pl).
Perform customs clearance (or have it done by a customs agency).
You can put the goods on the market.

Import from Great Britain - necessary documents:

The UK is not part of the European Union, therefore there are no intra-community delivery procedures. Imports from the UK follow similar rules as to any other third country. The set of documents that are needed for customs clearance are:

commercial invoice (not pro forma)
a packing list, if the invoice does not contain a detailed description of the goods
bill of lading – Bill of Lading (sea transport) or Air Waybill (air transport)
a statement on the origin of the goods to apply the 0% duty rate (certificate of origin).
When importing from the UK, there are a few things to keep in mind when it comes to business culture. What is important in British business culture?

Arrange a meeting at least a few days in advance and agree on the main points of conversation in e-mail correspondence.
Come to the meeting on time. If you are unable to, please let the hosts know.
Business attire is required, i.e. a suit for men, a jacket and trousers or a skirt or a dress with a jacket for women.
Business cards are exchanged at the beginning of the meeting. It’s a good idea to take a look at the business card you receive before putting it away.
The greeting handshake should be firm, but not too firm.
We recommend small talk as a warm-up, such as a talk about the weather, movies or sports.
Don’t be too formal and stiff. On the other hand, keep violent emotions at bay.
Have evidence to support your claims – keep data reports at hand.
The British are known for their diplomatic approach – they don’t say no openly, instead using phrases such as “It might be difficult”, “Interesting proposition” and the like. Reading between the lines is important.
It’s good to give the impression that everything is under control.
Do not interrupt the interlocutor and openly express your dissatisfaction.
Gifts are not always welcome as they can be seen as a bribe. As a thank you, you can present a not very expensive trinket such as chocolate, a bouquet of flowers or a gift from your home country. Typically, gifts are opened with the giver.
Write down the agreed terms at the end of the meeting. Final arrangements must also be included in the contract in writing.
It is not in good form to emphasize one’s position (for example, a high managerial position).
Managers tend to suggest rather than give orders, but their suggestions are respected.
Decision-makers make decisions taking into account the annual budget.
Going out to the pub is acceptable and is for getting to know each other better.
The rule is that whoever invites you to the pub/dinner pays the bill.
When eating, do not rest your elbows on the table. After finishing, cutlery (knife, fork) should be placed parallel to the right side of the plate.

Other issues related to British business culture

The British are more likely to establish business cooperation if their potential partner has been recommended to them or if they have a mutual friend.
Great emphasis is placed on adhering to the rules of fair play.
A comfortable personal space is the one at your fingertips.
Do not maintain long uninterrupted eye contact. When speaking to a group of people, make eye contact with each person.
Don’t refer to people from Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland as ‘English’, but ‘British’.

Imports from Great Britain - summary:

The most popular products imported from Great Britain to Poland are: machines and mechanical and electrical devices and their parts; vehicles, ships, aircraft and other means of transport; chemical industry products.
The time of transporting goods to Poland from Great Britain ranges from several days to several weeks.
UK duty is 0% (if they meet the requirements). If they do not meet the requirements, a re-export procedure should be carried out.
The British value punctuality and are not in the habit of saying no directly.

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