With so much attention focused on the Coronavirus, it is easy to forget that the Brexit deadline of December 31st is quickly heading towards us.
On the positive side of things, as dental laboratories are already registered with the MHRA, it doesn’t appear that there will be any significant change to that process prior to January 2021; most dental laboratories won’t have to take any action at all in regards to manufacturing custom made dental appliances, particularly if they provide services to dental practices in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) only. For dental laboratories which provide services from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, there may well be a new tier of administration but that has yet to be confirmed. Equally, for dental laboratories that operate from Northern Ireland, current advice suggests that you will be able to place on the market between Northern Ireland and Great Britain with your current registration with the MHRA (again, final clarification will be announced once the trade negotiations have been completed in approximately 1 week).
From January 1st 2021, any dental laboratory that intends to import or export any items that are valued £750 (€1000) or more from or to anywhere in the EU, including the Republic of Ireland, will require an EORI (Economic Operators Registration and Identification number). It is also possible that you may need an EORI number for trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland (again, this is yet to be clarified), therefore we recommend that dental laboratories register for their EORI number. The Government are advising that 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.
The current Government advice is for businesses to apply for an EORI number as soon as possible. It can take up to a week to get one and the demand will be increasing over the coming weeks.
If you already have an EORI, from 1st January 2021 you’ll need an EORI number that starts with GB to move goods between Great Britain and other countries. Therefore it is recommended that you check your EORI number, and apply for a new one if yours does not start with GB (HMRC may contact you if you already have an EORI number to offer to do this automatically in certain cases).
For more information regarding Brexit and how it will affect your business please visit the DLA Website, members area » Factsheets »