RE: BREXIT UPDATE

As many businesses will be all too aware, trade negotiations between the UK and the EU continue.  However, at this time, it remains unclear as to whether there will be a trade agreement before 31 December 2020.  The uncertainty presents many challenges for logistics providers and their customers.

It is essential that logistics suppliers have clear understanding of what will be the new customs reality across the range of possible deal outcomes that are still possible and that they have plans and procedures in place to help them and their customers deal with the new operational requirements and customs clearance requirements that will come.

Top BREXIT Preparedness tips for SMEs

1. Get your list of EORI numbers together
2. Make sure your logistics supplier can act as your Customs Agent

It is equally essential that companies that need to import, export or transit goods across the new customs jurisdictions engage with their logistics partners to ensure that plans are being in put in place and to supply their own information such as EORI numbers and commodity codes that may be required to move their goods come 01 January 2020.

If, as we hope, a trade agreement is reached some customs paperwork may be removed and processes will be simplified.  However until any agreement is reached, logistics providers must still prepare for a no deal scenario.

At HANNON, we have invested a lot of time, money and effort into our BREXIT preparedness.  We have developed systems and procedures which are scalable and flexible enough to deal with the various permutations of customs requirements that whichever deal is eventually agreed will bring.  We are now well advanced in terms of our preparations for either a ‘no trade agreement’ scenario or a ‘trade agreement’ scenario and we will have customs procedures in place to meet our customers’ customs requirements in any of these events.

We are now beginning to ramp up our communications with our customers to ensure that they are aware of the changes coming, know what is required of them in terms of preparedness and understand how we as customer and logistics partner will work together after the transition period ends on 31 December 2020.

Crucially, for the many SMEs we serve, from 01 January 2021, HANNON will act as customs agent in the UK and Republic of Ireland, together with our trusted mainland European customs partners, to provide customs and other related services which will allow our customers’ transport and customs service needs to be controlled by HANNON acting as a single point of contact for our SME customers.

In the next few weeks, as negotiations between the EU and UK hopefully come to an end, we will begin to roll-out the systems and procedures we have developed.

Donard McCann

LL.B, MSc. Head of Brexit Coordination