Arne Mielken
- Jun 6, 2021
- 3 min read

Apply for UK Autonomous Tariff & Quota Suspensions To Save Big

Explore what it takes to successfully apply to suspend duty for your product and save millions.

Autonomous Tariff suspensions aim to allow businesses to import supplies from outside their own country, for a limited period, with the suspension of normal duty rates.

This is with the aim of:

Stimulating economic activity within the UK
Improving business competitiveness
Creating jobs.

The UK Autonomous Tariff Suspensions scheme allows companies to request for a partial or total waiver of the duties normally applicable to a 0% duty rate to their import, where they can show these imports are necessary for manufacturing operations in the UK and are not available from UK suppliers.

It is referred to as a suspension as the number of goods allowed under it is unlimited.
If limited then it is referred to as a quota.

The type of products the suspension scheme usually applies to

Raw Materials
Semi-finished goods
Components not available within a country
Finished products used as components could benefit if the added value is high enough
Manufacturing materials can also a benefit if they are specific and necessary for the completion of a product if not adversely affecting competing enterprises within the UK.

Window of application

The first application for the duty suspension scheme runs from June to the end of July 2021. Don't be late

Conditions to meet

Under the UK’s independent suspensions regime, businesses can request a duty suspension for a specified product, which will then be considered by the government. The application must meet all the following criteria:

Applicants should provide a completed application form (attached below) no sooner than 1 June, and no later than 11.55pm on 31 July.
Applicants should be based in the UK or a Crown Dependency.
Trade associations, suppliers or other representatives can apply on behalf of businesses.
Applicants should demonstrate that UK business(es) would have saved at least £10,000 in duties if the suspension had been in force in 2020.
The request should not be for a product that is traded between related parties.
The product subject to the suspension request (or a substitutable product) is not produced in the UK or only produced in limited quantities, or production in the UK is temporarily insufficient for the normal functioning of the business.
The product subject to the suspension request is used in a production process (such as inputs or capital equipment), or there is another specific temporary need that exceeds normal changes in demand and supply.

What if you cannot meet these requirements?

If you do not meet all the above criteria, there is still hope. To make the best representation and present the necessary arguments clearly, it is best to contact a customs expert or specialist who has done such applications successfully in the past. Customs Manager Ltd. has more than 15 years of experience in making successful duty suspension applications.

How is the application form structured?

The UK Duty Tariff suspension form has seven sections:

SECTION 1: Privacy and Confidentiality
SECTION 2: Product description (details regarding the product for which you are seeking a duty suspension)
SECTION 3: Product importation and consumption (information regarding the business’s historic and anticipated importation and consumption of the product)
SECTION 4: Domestic production of the product (the efforts made to identify any UK producers of the product (or a substitutable product), and the results of your searches)
SECTION 5: Measure being applied for
SECTIONS 6: SECTION 6: Applicant details
SECTION 7: SECTION 7: Declaration

Download the applications form:

uk-duty-suspensions-application-form-wor

Download • 168KB

What happens after a business has applied?

Later in 2021, a notice of the applications made will be published on GOV.UK and businesses will have the opportunity to object to any applications. Further information about the objection process will also be made available. Objections will inform our assessment but will not automatically lead to the rejection of a suspension request.

How can Customs Manager help?

We have over 15 years of experience in helping businesses with tariff suspensions applications and their renewal, having saved businesses millions in the process. Contact us to discuss how we can help.