Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
By: Peter Bouwhuis
Sometimes Brussels makes a rule that looks neat on paper but turns into a headache at sea. That’s exactly what we’re facing with the EU customs reform and the full rollout of ICS2 this September.
I’ve been in logistics long enough to know one thing: cargo doesn’t care about politics, but it sure suffers when bureaucracy gets in the way. And as a certified Customs Broker in the past, this topic still sparks my interest. I’ve seen firsthand how even minor regulatory changes can ripple through supply chains in ways lawmakers often don’t fully grasp.
Temporary Storage Period
Take the temporary storage period. Brussels wants to cut it from 90 days to just 3. Three days! Anyone who’s ever stood on a windy quay in Rotterdam or Antwerp knows that ships don’t always sail on schedule. Bad weather, strikes, congestion—life happens. Cutting the period to three days is like telling a marathon runner to sprint every mile. It breaks the system. Ports are hubs, not revolving doors. If Europe wants to maintain its role as a global trade gateway, it needs that 90-day buffer. No ifs, no buts.
Trust and Check Status
Then there’s this shiny new “Trust and Check” status. Sounds good, right? In practice, it means more hoops to jump through, especially for smaller companies. Big carriers might absorb the cost of new IT systems, but I can already hear the groans from family-owned forwarders in places like Ireland or Croatia. Without proper support, this reform risks creating a two-tier industry: the giants who can comply, and the rest left behind.
The EU Customs Data Hub
And what about the EU Customs Data Hub? A single system to replace 27 national ones—on paper, I love it. In reality? I’ve seen enough large IT projects to know this won’t be a walk in the park. Ask anyone who’s tried to implement a global ERP system—it’s messy, it’s expensive, and it rarely runs on time.
E-Commerce Reforms
Now, don’t get me wrong. The EU is trying to fix real issues. The boom in e-commerce parcels is overwhelming customs officers, and shady operators are exploiting the €150 exemption. Scrap it? Fine. Make Amazon and Alibaba the “deemed importers”? Also fine. But let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater by punishing the backbone of EU trade: the maritime industry.
The Maritime Reality
Here’s the heart of it: 90% of EU trade moves by sea. You can have all the fancy data hubs and trust programs you want, but if cargo isn’t moving smoothly through ports, Europe grinds to a halt. The ICS2 rollout this month already showed how uneven implementation can be, with some countries ready and others kicking the can down the road until year-end. That’s the reality of Europe—27 countries, 27 different speeds.
Final Thoughts
The reform is ambitious, maybe even necessary. But if Brussels doesn’t listen to those of us who live and breathe logistics, we’ll end up with rules that look good on paper but fall apart on the dock.
Sometimes the smartest move isn’t more control, it’s trust—trust in the people who’ve been keeping Europe’s trade afloat long before anyone coined the term “data hub.”
