Freight News


Customs Support Group helps Irish wood firm cut through forest of red tape

[ January 14, 2026   //   ]

Clearance services provider Customs Support Group (CSG) has signed a partnership with Irish sustainable wood panel manufacturer, Medite SmartPly.

CSG will process more than 10,000 declarations per year for the company, a subsidiary of Coillte, Ireland’s state-owned forestry company. It produces sustainable MDF and OSB panels from its manufacturing hubs in Clonmel and Waterford, close to Ireland’s major ports.

CSG has used artificial intelligence to create an interface which integrates Medite SmartPly’s enterprise resource planning (ERP) system with its customs system. The blend of automation and human oversight extracts daily shipping data from logistics providers and inputs it into the ERP system, before CSG’s Customs EDI system creates, checks and validates declarations before submission.

Jerry Anglim, supply chain business development director at Medite SmartPly, said: “Any delay in customs clearance presents a significant risk to our operation. The rapid turnaround offered by CSG has become a cornerstone of Medite SmartPly’s decision to partner with them.”

Charlie Dawson, business development manager at Customs Support Group Ireland (pictured, above), added: “Businesses looking to improve their customs landscape need to understand that speed alone isn’t enough.

“It’s not just about being fast, but also about being razor-sharp on regulations. Right now, we’re navigating a minefield of shifting rules, suspended checks and evolving standards. ICS2 Release 3 is live, CBAM reforms are underway, and UKIMS still has grey areas around at-risk goods.”

CSG Ireland compliance manager, Jocelyn Burke (pictured, above), added:  “Add to that the EU’s steel tariff hikes, the US trade deal implications and possible delays with the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), and it’s a lot to stay ahead of – and that’s just on the regulatory side.”

“Trading conditions are equally volatile, as labour shortages, ESG pressures and the ongoing housing crisis are all squeezing supply chains. My job is to ensure that every declaration we touch is not only fast but future-proof.”