Are you ready for the EC’s electronic import controls?

ICS is the EC-wide development providing for the electronic receipt of Entry Summary Declarations that are currently submitted manually. It becomes mandatory from the end of next year and too many manufacturers are unprepared, says ATMS director Steve Warburton. "The good news about ICS is that it is pan European and you only need to do the declaration once, into whatever EC country the import first lands," says Warburton. "In the UK, HM Revenue and Customs will be the gateway for this information." ATMS is developing an ICS module as part of its Global Track solution, the hosted, web based, global supply chain track and trace solution. A SAP approved communications module is also available, and Global Track can work with STP, the ATMS warehouse management system. ICS is only the first stage of the EC-wide Automated Import System (AIS) initiative, which seeks to ensure that import operations starting in one member state can be completed in any of the other member states without re-submitting the same information. "Remember, ICS is only just over a year away, urges Warburton. "Now is the time to start planning and at the same time to see if you can streamline some of your systems and procedures."