New GR Rules on the Eastern Border from January 2025
From January 12, 2025, customs offices in eastern Poland are introducing a rigorous verification system for construction machinery. The method of reporting components is changing, which will impact exporters of cranes and excavators valued at over 38,400 euros. Numbers don't lie: the lack of a single declaration on the origin of steel will stop your transport for at least 14 business days.
Verification of steel components and electronics
New GR regulations require every machine exported outside the EU customs area to have a detailed list of parts originating from third countries. At Lublin Union GR & Audit, we checked facts, not promises: officials in Dorohusk have already received guidelines to check serial numbers of hydraulic pumps in every fourth transport.
If your documentation does not include a certificate of conformity issued after November 15, 2024, you risk returning the goods to the customs warehouse. Such a mistake costs an average of 320 PLN for each day of trailer downtime at the terminal. In the last month, we helped 12 companies avoid this cost through a prior audit of PDF files sent to customs agencies.
Numbers don't lie: the lack of one declaration on the origin of steel will stop your transport for at least 14 days.
New CN codes for used machinery
The border is not just a line on the map; it is now a bureaucratic barrier that requires precise customs codes. From January 2025, 6 old designations for wheel loaders disappear, and in their place, 11 new subcategories enter. The division depends on the exact engine power and the type of driving system used.
In the last quarter, we analyzed 87 of our clients' contracts and in 19 cases found errors in the classification of goods. Under the new system, these would end in a financial penalty of 14% of the entire invoice value. An official will not listen to explanations if the net weight on the document differs by more than 4.2 kg from what the weighbridge shows.
The role of Government Relations (GR) reports
Relations with the customs administration now require providing monthly export forecasts to the appropriate Tax Administration Chamber. Companies that send more than 3 transports per month must appoint a specific person responsible for contacts with the office. No fluff about theory: an official looks at the history of your last 14 declarations.
We saw this with 7 of our construction industry clients – the introduction of an internal audit shortened clearance time from 48 hours to 5 hours. A properly completed GR report protects against being blacklisted as a high-risk entity. (By the way, most transport companies don't talk about this because they prefer to add fees for downtime).
We check facts, not promises – an official looks at the history of your last 14 declarations, not at connections.
Checklist before January first
We recommend reviewing all contracts with steel suppliers by December 20. You must obtain written confirmation from them that 99.6% of the alloys used have a certificate of origin no older than 6 months. One poorly placed stamp on the EUR.1 form can block a payment from a letter of credit for the amount of 156,000 PLN.
At Lublin Union GR & Audit, we have prepared a verification template that saves about 7 weeks of potential explanatory proceedings. We focus on specifics because we know that time at the border is money. It is enough to check 3 key fields on the invoice to reduce the risk of physical inspection by nearly 23%.
