Customs Compliance Pro Issue 03 · 28 September–4 October 2026

Customs & Trade Compliance Weekly

This week’s highlights

EU’s steel “melt and pour” origin-evidence rule takes effect

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1963 — announced 31 August, in force since 1 September — began applying on 1 October 2026. Importers of covered steel products must now declare the country where the steel was melted and first cast into solid form, backed by a Mill Test Certificate; where no MTC is available, alternative documents (invoices, delivery notes, quality certificates, production records) are accepted as standalone evidence until 30 September 2027. Source: Eurometal.net, 2 Oct 2026
WCO and Europol sign updated joint action plan on cross-border crime

The World Customs Organization and Europol signed an updated Joint Cooperation Action Plan on the margins of the European Police Chiefs Convention at Europol’s The Hague headquarters on 29 September 2026, building on their 2002 cooperation agreement. Named initiatives include Operation Global Gateway (monitoring explosive-precursor chemicals and IED components) and Operations STOP (intellectual-property-rights breaches). Source: World Customs Organization, 1 Oct 2026
Irish Revenue spells out the €2 Union Handling Fee for online shoppers

Ireland’s Revenue Commissioners published consumer guidance on 29 September 2026 confirming that, from 1 November, a €2 handling fee applies per distinct item on e-commerce goods from outside the EU, on top of the existing €3 per-item duty, and is non-refundable even if goods are later found faulty. Worked examples: a €10 package of three different items would incur €9 duty plus €6 fee (€15 total plus VAT); two identical pens count as one item (€3 duty plus €2 fee). Source: Revenue (Ireland), 29 Sept 2026
HMRC’s Trader Support Service moves to a new operator and platform

HMRC confirmed on 30 September 2026 that the Trader Support Service — used for Northern Ireland goods movements — is migrating to a new platform built by Danish firm Netcompany and hosted on GOV.UK, replacing the Fujitsu-led system that has run TSS since 2020. From 1 October, users receive pre-enrolment emails and test-environment access; from 20 October, all goods movements must go through the new platform, with the outgoing system no longer accepting new movements. Source: UKAuthority, 30 Sept 2026
Trade press starts treating the handling fee as a third distinct charge line

A 30 September briefing recommended that businesses track the €2 Union Handling Fee, the €3 temporary customs duty, and import VAT as three separate amounts in their systems ahead of the fee’s expected November start — alongside reminders that the Union Customs Code’s Customs Authority and Data Hub are now both legally in motion following the Code’s 20 September entry into force. Source: Sterlinx Global, 30 Sept 2026

EU institutions — Council, Parliament & Commission

The main Commission action to actually bite this week was procedural rather than new: Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1963, which the Commission had announced on 31 August and which entered into force 1 September, began applying from 1 October 2026. It requires importers of covered steel products to declare the country where the steel was melted and first cast into solid form, evidenced by a Mill Test Certificate or, failing that, by alternative supporting documents accepted as standalone evidence until 30 September 2027. The Commission frames the aim as improving traceability and preventing circumvention of trade measures; EEA countries are exempt from the underlying steel safeguard’s quota and duty but remain subject to the traceability requirement (Source: Eurometal.net, 2 Oct 2026).

Separately, the World Customs Organization and Europol signed an updated Joint Cooperation Action Plan at Europol’s The Hague headquarters on 29 September 2026, on the margins of the European Police Chiefs Convention. The plan builds on a 2002 cooperation agreement and names two active initiatives: Operation Global Gateway, monitoring the licit movement of explosive-precursor chemicals and other improvised-explosive-device components, and Operations STOP against breaches of intellectual property rights (Source: World Customs Organization, 1 Oct 2026). The Council’s Working Party on Customs Union also met in Brussels on 29 September 2026, though no agenda or outcome document could be found for this run (Source: Council of the EU meeting calendar).

National customs administrations

Ireland — Revenue

Revenue published consumer-facing guidance on 29 September 2026 on the incoming €2 Union Handling Fee, confirming it applies per distinct item from 1 November 2026, stacks on top of the existing €3 per-item duty, and is not refundable even where goods are later found faulty. Worked examples given: a €10 package containing three different items would incur €9 duty plus €6 fee (€15 total, plus VAT); two identical pens count as a single item (€3 duty plus €2 fee); and packages over €150 attract item-specific duty rates instead of the flat €3 charge, plus the handling fee (Source: Revenue, 29 Sept 2026).

United Kingdom — HMRC

HMRC confirmed on 30 September 2026 that the Trader Support Service (TSS), used by businesses moving goods involving Northern Ireland, is switching to a new platform built by Danish tech firm Netcompany and hosted on GOV.UK, replacing the Fujitsu-led system that has operated TSS since 2020 and that has been in private beta since July. From 1 October, TSS users begin receiving pre-enrolment emails and test-environment access; from 20 October, all goods movements must be submitted on the new platform, and the outgoing system stops accepting new movements (Source: UKAuthority, 30 Sept 2026).

Trade press & industry commentary

A 30 September global VAT and tax strategy briefing recommended that businesses track the €2 Union Handling Fee as a third, distinct charge line alongside the €3 temporary customs duty and import VAT, ahead of the fee’s expected November start — while flagging that the Union Customs Code’s new EU Customs Authority and Customs Data Hub are both now legally in motion following the Code’s 20 September entry into force (Source: Sterlinx Global, 30 Sept 2026).

Compiled from public sources (official EU and national customs releases, trade press, and industry publications) for general informational purposes; it is not legal advice. Every factual claim above is attributed to a named, dated source. Corrections and tips: reach out via the contact details on customscompliancepro.com.

A public, source-linked briefing on EU customs and trade compliance — published every Monday, covering the preceding week.This issue covers 28 September–4 October 2026. With the reformed Union Customs Code now in force, the week’s news is mostly about the mechanics of implementation: a Commission regulation on steel-origin evidence taking effect, a new enforcement partnership between the WCO and Europol, a national tax authority spelling out the new handling fee for ordinary consumers, and a UK platform migration moving ahead on schedule. Every claim below is attributed to a named, dated source found during this run.How this works: each Monday we round up customs and trade-compliance developments from EU institutions (DG TAXUD, the Council, the European Parliament), national customs administrations, trade press and industry commentary, Vilnius Manifesto signatories, and major outlets (Financial Times, The Guardian, Politico, Reuters, Euractiv). We report only what a dated, named source actually covered that week; categories with nothing to report are simply left out, rather than padded or flagged as empty.010203Customs Compliance Pro · Weekly BriefingNext edition: Monday, 12 October 2026

Weekly Update October 4