The Chancellor has announced that some companies will be automatically registered for an Economic Operator Registration and Identification (EORI) number. 72,000 companies have already registered for EORI numbers and HMRC claim that the announcement will mean more than 88,000 will additionally be registered.

However, automatic registration will only apply to companies who are VAT registered, meaning those who are not VAT registered will still have to manually apply.

EORI numbers are a unique ID number allocated to businesses that enables them to be identified by Customs authorities when doing business with other traders. If businesses do not have an EORI number post-Brexit, they will be unable to continue to trade goods with EU Member States.

If you deal with customs processes of EU Member States, you’ll additionally need to get an EU EORI
number. An EU EORI is valid across the entire EU, and you can get this from the EU
member state you are trading with.

The full announcement can be read here.

Update – HMRC have published new guidance letters to businesses regarding the announced EORI auto-enrolment:

• Letter to EU-only traders in the UK (except Northern Ireland) about EORI auto-enrolment – August 2019
• Letter to EU-only traders in Northern Ireland about EORI auto-enrolment – August 2019