Smart border in France will speed up customs procedures after Brexit

In anticipation of the re-establishment of the border between the UK and the EU, French Customs has developed an information system allowing businesses to automate the border crossing by HGVs. The system, called “Smart border” is designed to maintain smooth circulation of goods, to enable early completion of customs procedures for import and export and to facilitate the exchange of information between hauliers, shipping companies, the Eurotunnel operator and customs authorities.

4 steps of the transit process
The entire process involves early completion of customs procedures before arriving at the border by providing the driver with the bar code of the customs declaration.
The transit process consists of four steps:
1. preparation of goods by the exporter/importer, who is obliged to provide the haulier with all the information required to submit a customs declaration (transit declaration and pre-departure declaration).
2. preparation of the transit or pre-departure declaration by the customs declarant
3. shipping of the goods by the dispatcher, who is responsible for sending the declaration
4. presentation of the documentation by the haulier. At this stage customs officers, in spite of the bar code attached to the registration plate will ask the driver to answer a few questions: is the lorry loaded or is it running empty? Are the goods subject to sanitary and phytosanitary requirements; does the cargo contain fish products or is it transported under the TIR carnet?
Colour coding
On arriving in the Eurotunnel or ferry terminal, the haulier will automatically be directed to the green or orange lane depending of the status of the transported goods customs declarations
a) green lane for transits without ECS inspection,
b) orange lane for transits requiring inspection