Cross-border trading corner – 22 September 2025

In this week’s cross-border trading corner, we bring you the latest guidance updates and publications. The most recent Trader Support Service bulletin is also available as is the latest Brexit and Beyond newsletter from the Northern Ireland Assembly EU Affairs team. Lord Murphy of Torfaen has now completed his Independent Review of the Windsor Framework and the UK Government has sent an email setting out details of the new export health certificate which took effect last month.

Independent Review of the Windsor Framework

Earlier this month Lord Murphy of Torfaen published his report on the Independent Review of the Windsor Framework (WF). Despite the disparate views of local political parties on the WF, the report sets out that the parties have put forward important and practical suggestions on how improvements to its operation could be made. 

The key elements of the report can be summarised as follows:

• Small and medium-sized companies are struggling with the new rules and processes,
• Some gaps remain in how Northern Ireland can meaningfully influence EU laws that apply to it, and
• The recent sanitary and phytosanitary agreement between the UK and EU is a significant advancement which promises practical improvements to NI-GB trade.

Miscellaneous guidance updates and publications

This week’s miscellaneous guidance updates and publications are as follows:

• Using a special procedure without a prior authorisation,
• Apply to pay less duty on goods you import for specific uses,
• Sailing a pleasure craft into the UK temporarily for private use,
• External temporary storage facilities codes for Data Element 5/23 of the Customs Declaration Service,
• Appendix 2 C21e: Data Element 1/11: Additional Procedure Codes,
• Appendix 2: DE 1/11: Additional Procedure Codes of the Customs Declaration Service (CDS), and
• Withdraw funds from your Customs Declaration Service cash account.