This month's updates from the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) 

► The BCC spoke with officials in the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) about how the Border Target Operating Model is functioning from an import and export perspective, drawing upon our recent research.

► The BCC met with DBT’s World Trade Organisation (WTO) Policy Team to discuss future engagement and shared priorities, ahead of the WTO Public Forum held in September. 

► The BCC was informed that the EU has confirmed that the Entry/Exit Scheme (EES) for UK passport holders travelling to the EU (with the exception of Cyprus and ROI) will begin on Sunday 10 November. The Home Office recently set out measures for extra capacity in the West Docks at the Port of Dover for dealing with the forthcoming arrangements. 

► The BCC took part in a meeting of the Domestic Advisory Group on the UK-EU relationship. The Paymaster-General, Nick Thomas-Symonds MP, was the main speaker and was interested in BCC's key priorities for improving trade, and our latest research findings.

► The BCC  participated in a business UK-EU trade roundtable. The session was chaired by the Minister of State for Trade Policy and Economic Security, Douglas Alexander MP, and the Minister for Exports, Gareth Thomas MP. Issues raised included export support, commercial diplomacy, and VAT.