II. Using the vocabulary make up a conversation between a wco officer and a businessman on a Customs blueprint for the 21st century.

Review key concepts

1. Identify the key issues of customs activities in the 21^st century.

2. Discuss the essence of the revised Kyoto convention.

3. Discuss the vision of WCO of customs activities in the 21^st century.

Discuss the following.

Role play a dialogue between a reporter of a business magazine and a customs officer discussing all the issues (problems, perspectives) of Customs of the 21^st century.

Make a conference on the issues of the Customs of the future. Make up a time capsule with the address to your offspring.

Say you had a foreign partner who made a bad business decision that caused your business to lose money and to have problems with customs. Act out the situation. What steps could you take to correct the situation?

For discussion

Read the articles and discuss the topic brought up in them.

Unit I.

Import controls - prohibitions, restrictions and licences

Some imports need special licences or certificates above what's normally required. These can be obtained from the governing body that oversees the industry in question. You must ensure that you have the appropriate licence before you import any of these goods.

You need a licence to import ozone-depleting substances from third countries. There are strict controls on the importation of certain hazardous chemicals or pesticides into the European Union (EU).

You may need a special licence to import some radio and other communication devices and equipment. You can find out more information in our guide on telecoms, radiocomms and broadcasting equipment.

There are also controls regarding the import of forestry products, including packaging materials. Wood packaging bringing goods into the UK is subject to phytosanitary measures. For more information, see our guide on wood packaging.

Controls also apply to nuclear materials, which you cannot import under an Open General Import Licence (OGIL). OGILs allow most goods to be imported into the UK, from countries listed in the OGIL notice published in the Government Gazette, without having to apply for a licence and usually without restriction. However, certain goods are listed in the Schedule to the OGIL because they are either restricted or banned unless consigned from a member state of the European Community (EC). As nuclear materials are listed in the Schedule, you must apply for a restricted individual import licence. You can find out about the restrictions that apply to importing nuclear materials from outside the EC on the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

In addition to these import and similar export controls, stringent health and safety requirements apply to nuclear materials. The HSE also governs the import of certain carcinogenic substances unless accompanied by an Exemption Certificate. Oil or gas products must also comply with strict safety regulations when imported into the UK. Under EU regulations on the Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals (REACH), if you manufacture, import or use over one tonne or more of a chemical substance per year you must register with the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA).

There are also import controls in place for ammonium nitrate, which forms the basis of most fertilizers as well as quarrying or mining explosives. If you import large quantities, you should see our guide on importing solid ammonium nitrate in consignments of 500 kilograms or more.

Rough diamonds must be imported under the Kimberley Process - an international initiative to stop armed groups using diamond sales to fund their activities. Diamonds can only cross a border into the EU when accompanied by a Kimberley Certificate. Find out information on the Kimberley Process on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

The Waste Shipment Regulation prohibits the shipment of some types of waste into the UK. Others are subject to prior written notification and consent procedures. Read about shipments of waste on the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) licences are currently needed for certain textiles, firearms, ammunition, nuclear materials and iron and steel. There are prohibitions on the import of anti-personnel mines, torture equipment, potassium chloride originating in Belarus and certain goods from Liberia. The Import Licensing Branch (ILB) of BIS regulates licences. Read about current requirements for ILB licences on the BIS.

For some products a prior surveillance import licence may be needed. Such licences are used to monitor future imports.