Collecting and transporting groupage consignments from GB to NI
New groupage model developed by Defra and DAERA to aid the movements of groupage loads into Northern Ireland.
If you are a haulier who moves SPS goods (products of animal origin, high-risk food not of animal origin and plants and plant products) from Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) to Northern Ireland where your goods need to be accompanied by Export Health Certificates (EHC) or compliance declarations, this new guidance can help facilitate the movement of groupage loads.
New groupage models have been developed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA). These models can help ensure loads will be able to move through NI points of entry with minimum interruption - however, you should be prepared for document and identity checks and other risk-based physical checks.
‘Groupage’ exports are groups of products transported in a single sealed trailer or container.
You can move your goods using any of the following groupage methods:
- the linear model
- the consolidation hub model
- the hybrid model - by combining the linear and consolidation hub models
If you employ a haulier to transport your products, you should agree with them what model you’ll use to move your products.
You must move goods from .
This guide will also help you determine the certificates you may need for your goods, information on how to seal your consignment and how to pre-notify the NI point of entry.
Check what certificates you need to move your consignment
There are different certificates you may need depending on the types of goods being moved in groupage.
You need different certificates depending on the type of product you’re moving to Northern Ireland.
Products of animal origin (POAO)
POAO means animal products for human consumption such as:
- meat
- fish
- eggs
- dairy
- honey
- gelatine
.
Plants and plant products
These include:
- plants, including fruit, vegetables and cut flowers
- plant products
- seeds
- potatoes
- bulbs
- grain
- machinery
- wood and wood products
.
Pet food and animal feed
You may need a certificate to export animal feed or pet food, and you may have to follow certain rules.
.
High-risk food and feed of non-animal origin (HRFNAO)
Some non-animal food and feed products from certain non-European Union countries present risks to human health because of:
- aflatoxins
- pesticides
- salmonella
- dioxins
.
The linear model to move goods in groupage
How to use the linear model when your business is moving goods in groupage from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.
The linear model means:
- hauliers pick up different consignments from different locations
- each consignment (such as an individual pallet) is checked and sealed by a certifying officer before the haulier moves on to the next location - this is an official seal
This process is repeated until all consignments are in the vehicle. The haulier seals the load at the final point of dispatch before it leaves the port - this is a commercial seal.
The consolidation hub model to move goods in groupage
How to use the consolidation hub model when moving groups in groupage from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.
The consolidation hub model means:
- different consignments are brought together at a single approved establishment
- the consignments are certified together at that establishment and moved to Northern Ireland as a single unit
The consolidation hub model may be appropriate for your goods if the:
- consignments or pallets will arrive at the hub sealed and certified
- hub is the sole collection point
If the consignments or pallets will be sealed and certified at the hub you’ll need to check that:
- a certifying officer is available
- someone is authorised and available to apply an official seal to the trailer
If there are a series of collection points, the linear model may be more appropriate.
The hybrid model to move goods in groupage
How to use the linear and consolidation hub models together when moving groups in groupage from GB to NI.
You can use the linear and consolidation hub models together. For example:
The sealed consignment or pallet(s) arrive at a consolidation hub with the correct documents. The certificates will have details of the:
- trader who’s sending the goods (also known as the consignor)
- person receiving the goods in Northern Ireland (also known as the consignee)
- trailer transporting the consignment or pallet to the consolidation hub
The consignment or pallet(s) is then loaded onto the vehicle.
How to pre-notify the Northern Ireland point of entry
Pre-notification of the arrival of consignments at a Northern Ireland Point of Entry from Great Britain.
The person responsible for the goods in Northern Ireland must create a Common Health Entry Document (CHED) on the .
The person responsible can be the:
- person receiving the goods
- haulier
Find out .
When completing the CHED the person responsible for the goods in NI should enter:
- the word ‘Groupage’ in box 1.3
- the estimated time of arrival in the NI port in box 1.10
- the trailer number in box 1.13
- the haulier seal in the first line followed by individual pallet seals in the lines below in box 1.17
How to seal your consignment
Guidance on sealing your consignment when moving groups of agrifood products from GB to Northern Ireland.
All products moved from Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) to Northern Ireland should be sealed and certified. Seals added by traders or hauliers are commercial seals. Seals added by certifying officers are official seals.
Consignments sealed with a commercial seal will need physical identity checks on entry to NI and this may increase delays at the point of entry.
Consignments sealed with an official seal may only require seal checks and are likely to move through the point of entry more quickly.
To assist with identity checks, you may want to attach a document that shows the seal number and delivery address for the products to the outside of the consignment or pallet.
Types of seal you can use
The method of sealing used by a trader is a commercial decision. You should discuss and agree sealing methods with your certifying officer.
Examples of acceptable seals include:
- strapping with shrink wrap where the straps cross over both ways where possible and the seal is attached at the cross-over points to prevent items being removed or added to the load
- wire wrap with shrink wrap fixed with a seal on top
- sealed reusable large netting (or other cover) over multiple pallets
You can seal the consignment in part of a trailer or container if there’s only one point of physical entry to the consignment and the seal is applied to that point of entry.
Pallets should be sealed so they cannot be tampered with. Pallets must comply with ISPM 15.
Smaller consignments such as boxes can be sealed with security tape that shows if the consignment has been altered.
You should not use cling film or pallet wrap by itself as this does not prevent the load from being tampered with.
Your consignment will be subject to further checks and will be delayed if:
- you do not apply the seal correctly
- the seal number does not match the number on the certificate