Amazon Northern Ireland Brexit guidelines

Amazon have issued an update on how shipping orders from the Great Britain to Northern Ireland may change. We’re still waiting for guidance for merchants shipping from Northern Ireland to Great Britain. For more detailed information than the Amazon Northern Ireland Brexit guidelines give, you should check the UK government help page.

Currently there is a 3-month grace period before customs declarations will be required when moving goods between Northern Ireland and Great Britain, although there are some exceptions. This grace period will end on the 31st of March 2021, and at this time, you may be required to complete customs clearance documentation for orders sent to Northern Ireland from the Great Britain Further details about how these arrangements will be implemented from the 1st of April 2021 will be published by the government ‘in due course’.

Amazon Northern Ireland Brexit guidelines

Impact on Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA)

For the majority of FBA sellers, even after the grace period, Amazon will continue to send FBA orders to Northern Ireland. However, product categories, shipping exclusions to Northern Ireland will apply and Amazon will be updating their Brexit help pages with more specific details later.

Impact on Merchant Fulfilled Network (MFN)

Up until the 31st of March, the majority of sellers using MFN or Seller Fulfilled Prime (SFP) will not be required to complete customs declarations. However, a small number of exempt products will require customs decelerations before this date and you should review the UK government’s guidance to confirm whether this includes your products. After the 31st of March, MFN and SFP sellers will be required to complete customs declarations for all orders sent from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.

Amazon Northern Ireland Brexit preparations

Based on the existing HMRC guidance, Amazon have a six point check list to assist you:

1. Obtain a Northern Irish EORI number (which starts with letters XI): If you already have a UK EORI number, you may have automatically been assigned an XI EORI. You can use the EORI number validation to confirm whether this is the case. If you do not have one, you will need to apply for one.
2. Confirm the details of your products to complete the declaration form (required). This includes the product’s country of origin information, Harmonised System (HS) code, and value.
3. Consider enrolling in the Trade System Service (TSS), which will guide you through any changes to the way goods move between the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, and can complete declarations on your behalf.
4. Ensure that the price you are charging customers is reflective of any additional costs. For MFN non-Prime, you can adjust your shipping fees for Northern Ireland if necessary. To do this, go to Shipping Settings and create a new delivery rule for Northern Ireland on any relevant shipping templates. Make sure you remove Northern Ireland from any existing delivery rules on the template before updating. For SFP, you are still required to offer free shipping.
5. Review Amazon’s Product and Labelling Compliance section of their Brexit help page to understand if your goods require additional markings. In addition, refer to Moving goods into, out of, or through Northern Ireland for placing manufactured goods on the market in Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and placing manufactured goods on the market in Northern Ireland from the EU.
6. Review the guidance provided in the UK government help pages.

Finally, Amazon suggest that you contact your carrier if you have any further questions regarding shipping from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.