Why Is This Not Reported More?

[Khandro]

This seems to be a highly important step in future UK - EU relations, but I haven't seen it reported, could it be contrary to 'project fear' and the remain agenda?

https://order-order.com/2018/12/17/uk-eu-agree-maintain-common-transition-convention-even-no-deal/

[Kromovaracun]

From Mamya's link:

//The CTC means goods do not need to complete import and export declarations each time they cross a new border and traders only have to make customs declarations and pay import duties when they arrive at their final destination//

Also here, from UK Trade Forum:

//The Common Transit Convention allows a suspension of customs checks and payment of duties until the goods reach the destination country.
...
Signing the Convention could potentially address some issues for some shipments. Under transit, it means goods from outside the EU could pass through the UK as a third party with duties suspended to another destination – Ireland for instance. Likewise, for Ireland the UK is a land bridge for its exports to other countries – it’s estimated in a report for the Irish Government that 53 per cent of Irish goods exports (measured in volume) to other countries are transported via the UK. Transit would be vital to maintain this trade.

...

But there are still many issues the current provisions wouldn’t solve. For a start, any good going through the normal import process would still create huge issues for ports like Dover.

In addition the current facilities and the number of approved traders are not prepared to handle the scale of trade requiring clearance post-Brexit. These facilities would need significant infrastructure investments and capacity upscaling, which take time and money. ... //

https://uktradeforum.net/2018/04/24/securing-european-transit-for-uk-trade-post-brexit/

I.e., if we are the destination country, then customs checks and duties would surely still apply when goods arrive here.

[Kromovaracun]

Also, following on from what Jim said, it's not entirely surprising that our access to an obscure transit agreement is not headline-grabbing news. It is certainly welcome, and will reduce the stress on ports - and will certainly be a relief for anyone who cares about the Irish economy (i.e., hardly anyone among the British public). This is not a "gotcha" for some vast conspiracy.

[Huderon]

Since the current convention is an updated one of earlier conventions dating back to 1949, agreeing to maintain it hasn't really got anything much to do with "project fear" or the "remain agenda". Still, feel free to believe whatever you want to believe.

[New Judge]

"Since the current convention is an updated one of earlier conventions dating back to 1949, agreeing to maintain it hasn't really got anything much to do with "project fear" or the "remain agenda"."

Indeed huderon. But there are many conventions and agreements like this (and others which are global rather than European) that cover various aspects of business and trade. The current thinking among many people is that all these will end as far as the UK is concerned on March 29th because they believe they are inextricably linked with EU membership. They believe that the UK does not have membership of such arrangements in its own right because they have seen the nation's identity and sovereignty slowly but surely subsumed into that of the EU. It's not their fault - it's simply what they've been led to believe but or course it suits the agenda of many politicians to let continue to labour under such a misapprehension.