April 7, 2026

After the Easter interlude we plunge back into a very busy April, with lots of changes happening in quick succession. We’re happy to highlight some of the quiet behind-the-scenes conversations we’ve been having with government departments that are making new systems more useful and resilient for our clients and the wider industry. George Bowen gives his first interview since his promotion to Customs Director in December. James Evans gives an insight into the complexity of routing freight from Great Britain to the eastern Mediterranean. In this edition we cover:

• Harbour Shipping: working with the French government to deliver ELO improvements
• “E” Summary: know your EES, ELO, ETA and eATA and take action now!
• James Evans: Truck from Great Britain to Turkey? No problem.
• George Bowen Interview: Safeguarding continuity and planning for change in 2026
• Testimonial of the Month: Lynn thanks our Tunnels and Tolls Team.

Industry Leadership to help our Clients

Because of the range of services we offer our clients in the real everyday world, we often spot issues before the government departments that are implementing complex new customs and other freight processes. Of course, we’ve worked with the British government and HMRC for years, but we’ve also been working with high-level French customs authorities for many months as they introduced ICS2 and formulate their Obligatory Logistics Envelope (ELO).

We pointed out some major omissions in the ELO development and the French authorities told us in mid-March they had updated the ELO to address these issues and tested successfully. They were able to roll out the update on Monday 30th March to include:

• Transporting goods under ATA carnet (or TIR), covered by a transport contract or not.
• Transporting only empty pallets or packaging, covered by a transport contract or not.
• Transporting goods under a postal CN label

These changes make the ELO much easier and more flexible for a range of small and large freight businesses. The French customs authorities also answered our specific question about resilience, by implementing a fix for ICS2 slowdowns. This means that we will still be able to create an ELO and close ELO in the event of an ICS2 slowdown.

ELO is already operational and it becomes mandatory on Monday 20th April – just 3 weeks away. Don’t get caught out! To discuss how Harbour Shipping’s ELO and other services can help you, contact our Customs Director, George Bowen: [email protected] |  +44 (0) 1304 20090

E’s are good: EES, ELO, ETA, eATA

E is for European and E is for electronic. Whichever, several new systems are currently being implemented across the UK and Europe that affect freight and other travellers moving for business and pleasure. Here’s a rundown of the different systems:

1. EU Entry/Exit System (EES) -

Not strictly related to customs or freight traffic but this affects all non-EU visitors to the Schengen area, such as British citizens. Originally due to start at Dover Harbour, Eurotunnel and other British ports on Friday 10th April 2026, the start is currently slightly delayed for operational and technical reasons. EES is the new biometric border for the European Union’s Schengen area of free movement and for British passport holders, including truck drivers and passengers, this means:

• Providing fingerprints and a photo at border kiosks on your first entry.
• Subsequent visits will involve a quick scan to replace manual passport stamping.
• Children under 12 only require a photo (no fingerprints).

2. French Obligatory Logistics Envelope (ELO)

ICS2 is now mandatory for all goods entering the European Union, and France is introducing its ELO (equivalent to a British GMR or Irish PBN) on 20th April, just days away.

3. eATA carnets

We will cover this in more detail in next month’s newsletter but if you can’t wait, please check out our LinkedIn post of 1st April. To summarise: from 1 June 2026 the way we handle ATA Carnets will start to change. The UK, EU, Norway, and Switzerland are among the first countries to begin moving away from the famous green paper document towards a new digital system (the eATA carnet). For decades, the "passport for goods" has meant carrying around a physical green booklet. If you lost it, you were in for a long and expensive week. The new eATA system replaces that paper with a secure digital version accessed via a smartphone app.

Harbour Shipping work with our local Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce to so we are in the forefront of this rollout and will be ensuring we assist our clients with their ATA carnets now and in the future.

4. UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)

Beginning about 6 weeks ago on 25 February 2026, the ETA became fully mandatory for all eligible visa-exempt travellers entering or transiting the UK. This digital permission links directly to the passport and covers short stays. See our webpage here for more information

For more information about all these changes, please check out our websites and LinkedIn posts where we aim to post regular updates, help and advice.

• Harbour Customs for specific customs-related information and services, RoRo and Deep Sea
• Harbour Shipping for all our company business, focusing on ferry bookings, tools and sea freight.

Truck from Britain to Turkey? No problem!

We don't just handle ferry routes around the British Isles. We cover most Baltic and Mediterranean routes too. James Evans from our ferry booking sales team gives an example here of helping a client travel to eastern Turkey:

"Britain to Turkey is always a challenge but one I'm familiar with now. When I first started I had a client who wanted to land in southern Turkey. He planned to travel through Greece and sail from Piraeus but we could only find routes from there to Turkey's Aegean and Black Sea ports. In the end I found a route out of Trieste to Mercin on Turkey's south coast, that was just a few hours away from his intended destination, skipping Greece altogether."

If you're planning a challenging route and need a guide who knows the map inside out, get in touch with our UK and European Sales Manager, Michael Tschirsch: [email protected] |  +44 (0) 1304 200935

Harbour Lights: Interview with George Bowen

George Bowen first joined the Harbour Shipping family back in 2011. After a remarkable career where he has gained solid industry perspectives we're delighted to say he recently took over as our Customs Director. Since then it has been non-stop with new people, new processes and new software, so we've had little opportunity to sit down and talk to him. We finally got that chance at the beginning of March so here is the interview:

When did you first start at Harbour Shipping?

I started initially at Harbour Shipping, in July 2011. I started on the 8-hour shift clerk desk dealing with the clearance advices and the Vignettes.

What is it like leading after so many years?

It's strange but familiar at the same time. Luckily Harbour Shipping is built on strong foundations of continuity and experience. Those principles saw us through joining the Single Market in 1992 and leaving it again, and much else besides. Throughout everything the processes haven't really changed and it's still all about reliability for ourselves and our customers, constantly.

As Customs Director, how do you see the Customs Clearance industry in 2026 and beyond?

There is a constant flow of regulatory changes and new systems being introduced that we as a business are overcoming to be able to support all of our customers with every aspect of their clearance needs. The only thing to be certain about is that there will be more changes for our customers to navigate and they will rely on us to be their beacon in the dark directing their way through. Technology is starting to play a must bigger part in cross-border processes. In some instances, there are efficiencies to be made but this can also cause complacency and lack of knowledge. We are interested in moving forward but are very steadfast on our core fundamentals, and the depth of knowledge across our company must be maintained.

What plans do you have for the future in Harbour Shipping?

As I mentioned previously, I am exploring technological additions to the business that could increase our efficiency; covering the more admin-based tasks in the office whilst allowing staff to focus on the core customs element of their jobs. I have already launched a number of new services since being back which is complementing our ferry sales activity and has seen some steady growth over the last 12 months. I intend to push that forward into the next 12. I have a great bunch of people working at Harbour Shipping and want to recognise that, In fact, I want to be able to provide all of the staff with the best possible opportunities and with the level of training they deserve to achieve their best.

Testimonial of the Month

Reprinted with thanks to Lynn.

After years of hassle from another company, Harbour Shipping are a breath of fresh air. We know we can totally rely on Samantha and Oliver for all of our toll box needs. Orders are dealt with in extremely short timescales and we are kept well-informed with any updates and news. Every phone call is answered promptly and always in a cheerful, friendly manner. All queries and toll problems and faulty boxes are dealt with as soon as possible and we can rely on them to respond back and resolve the matter as quicky as possible.

We're happy to acknowledge that the text and artwork for this newsletter was produced with the help of Shane Gurney at Sentily

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