EU-UK FTA: What is exporter reference No? (Part I)

Free Trade Agreement: UK-EU (part 1)

Enrika Naujokė
Enrika Naujokė
Co-founder and Director, CustomsClear, Lithuania
Published 28 Dec 2020
EU-UK FTA: What is exporter reference No? (Part I)
Photo by bongkarn thanyakij from Pexels
Explainer
Origin
Zero duties in the EU-UK trade will apply only to originating products. In most cases the proof of origin will be the statement on origin made out by the exporter in a commercial document. Reader’s questions: „There is an Exporter Reference Number indicated in the form of the statement on origin. When and how should an EU exporter obtain it? How long does it take? May the exporter issue the statement on origin after exportation of the goods?“.

Related content

EU-UK FTA: What is exporter reference No? (Part II)

EU-UK FTA: What is exporter reference No? (Part II)

Enrika Naujokė
Enrika Naujokė
02 Jan 2021

We overviewed the EU requirements for an EU exporter to get the Exporter Reference Number to include in the statement on origin (in Part I) and continue answering these questions:…

Origin
Explainer
Rules of origin under free trade agreements: compliance vs usability

Rules of origin under free trade agreements: compliance vs usability

21 Jun 2026

According to the European Commission’s report, trade agreements have strengthened the EU’s global competitiveness, improved EU companies’ access to third-country markets, and supported exports in key sectors. However, their full…

Origin
Perspective
Other origin certificate instead of EUR.1 under PEM: technical defect or fatal flaw?

Other origin certificate instead of EUR.1 under PEM: technical defect or fatal flaw?

Omer Wagner
Omer Wagner
03 Sep 2026

Even when a certificate definitively states the product’s origin, it may not secure preferential treatment if it was not issued in the required form. Importers can then face a substantial…

Origin
Country update
Steel imports from 1 October 2026: no evidence of the country of 'melt and pour', no release

Steel imports from 1 October 2026: no evidence of the country of 'melt and pour', no release

Editorial Board
Editorial Board
01 Sep 2026

From 1 October 2026, imports of the steel products covered by the new EU Steel Regulation must be accompanied by evidence of the country in which the steel was melted…

Origin
News in focus
UCC change for US imports: proof of origin now includes direct transport

UCC change for US imports: proof of origin now includes direct transport

Editorial Board
Editorial Board
26 Jul 2026

Since 1 July 2026, most industrial goods originating in the United States enter the EU duty-free, and a range of US agricultural and seafood products benefit from tariff quotas. Importers…

Origin
News in focus
India-UK CETA and its rules of origin: a new chapter in India’s preferential trade architecture

India-UK CETA and its rules of origin: a new chapter in India’s preferential trade architecture

Bhupender Singh
Bhupender Singh
12 Jul 2026

Editorial note: With the EU-India FTA near conclusion and the UK-India CETA entering into force on 15 July 2026, exporters to India face a market that is liberalising at the…

Origin
Trade policy
Country update