Genesis helps Chamber International give new start to UK exporters
7 December 2022
Chamber International has helped launch a revolutionary new digital platform that could boost UK exports and may be adopted by Chambers of Commerce around the world.
Chamber International is among only four UK chambers invited by British Chambers of Commerce to launch Genesis, which digitally verifies the origin of goods, including parts and ingredients, to comply with trade agreements, which has become a major obstacle for UK exporters.
New UK overseas trade agreements, which generally replicate existing EU deals, focus on the origin of goods when applying reduced import tariffs but exporters do not always have the time or funds to do the necessary origin checks on their products.
This is creating problems for British exporters, especially many SMEs, leading to delays, increased costs and lost business.
Genesis, developed by the International Chamber of Commerce, Paris, to resolve the problem, is being launched simultaneously by chambers of commerce in Canada, The Netherlands and France and all those taking part are working together to further develop the platform based on feedback from exporters.
Chamber International director, Tim Bailey (pictured below), says: “Rules of Origin are very technical, complex and legalistic and have a crucial role in global trade. A growing number of exporters are SMEs and they do not have the time, in-house compliance expertise, or funds to pay external consultants to check the origin of materials and components through the supply chain and against trade agreements and tend to settle for an educated guess.
“This is regularly challenged by foreign customs leading to goods being delayed and delivery deadlines being missed. Overseas customs can impose a fine, and storage costs can accrue pending an investigation into the accuracy of declarations and whether the goods really do qualify for free trade, none of which helps effective exporting or the UK’s trade reputation.
“Multinationals have expensive software and origin compliance teams to manage this risk and now we’re pleased to be able to offer Genesis as a solution for UK SME exporters.“
To use the service, exporters need to upload their commercial invoice when shipping to countries with which the UK has a trade agreement and Chamber International’s compliance team will carry out the necessary verification and add a digital kitemark to give overseas customs administrations reassurance that the proper checks have been made and the goods can be allowed into the country.
Tim Bailey adds: “We regularly receive requests for post-verification checks on UK export consignments when customs suspect they do not comply.
“There is no dishonesty but the financial and time constraints are leading many exporters to use a cut-and-paste approach and hope for the best. British goods are still sought after worldwide and, by using Genesis, companies will be better able to achieve their export objectives by presenting a more professional image.”
Chamber International, which is theis the international trade division of West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, has offices in Bradford and London and helps hundreds of new and experienced exporters throughout the UK with a wide range of specialist services to make exporting easier and more cost effective.
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