An artificial intelligence (AI) system has been introduced at Ashford Port Health Authority (APHA) as the facility becomes the first to fully automate the initial stage of import document checks.
The system, introduced by Ashford Borough Council, will reportedly allow the facility to maintain its charges for official controls at their current level for the coming year, and will not apply any inflationary increases for the 2026/27 financial year.
Since the opening of Ashford Port Health Service function at the Sevington Border Control Post in April 2024, Ashford Borough Council has been responsible for overseeing official border controls on the highest volume of commercial freight entering the UK. This includes checks on products of animal origin (POAO), high-risk food and feed of non-animal origin (HRFNAO), organic goods and other regulated imports, all within a complex and highly regulated framework.
The Council undertook a full review of how import documentation was processed, identifying opportunities to strengthen performance without compromising regulatory standards. Working in partnership with Salesforce Ltd and Cospire Technologies, APHA said it has developed the UK’s “first fully automated, AI-driven system” for the initial stage of import document checking.
The solution uses Intelligent Document Processing to capture and structure import documents, enabling AI to carry out the initial compliance checks, which Ashford Port Health Service said would “accurately replicate the existing manual process” in a faster, more consistent and auditable way.
The development of the system also involved an extended period of on-site collaboration at Sevington to understand and document exactly how officers carry out checks in practice, and the system was then tailored to match those operational requirements.
Anthony Baldock, corporate director of Health and Wellbeing at Ashford Borough Council, commented: “We are delighted to be at the forefront of the introduction of carefully managed AI to help transform the way we support Border Control services in the UK.
“The investment in this pioneering technology is already delivering improved productivity across the service allowing the teams to focus on the front-line delivery of services as well as enhanced compliance and an improvement in the speed and quality of official controls.”
