"Those long queues at Calais and Dover will come"

"Brexit is a fact. The transition phase is not", said Elmer de Bruin of TLN during his presentation at the Brexit session. "It is important to the logistics sector that a good trade agreement is reached between the United Kingdom (UK) and the Netherlands. We do not know if this will be the case." On 29 March 2019, the UK will leave the EU. What happens after that is still uncertain. The UK and the EU are still in negotiations.

TLN conducted a survey among 1,300 Dutch businesses which trade with the UK. "This survey concluded that Brexit is not deemed important in the logistics sector. The companies also find it difficult to assess the consequences." This is a problem says the trade organisation. According to this trade association, "The best thing for companies to do is to study Brexit. They need to talk to clients and study issues pertaining to customs. They must analyse goods flows and enter into a dialogue with the bank."

The UK will become a third-party country once it exits the EU. This means trading with the UK will be the same as trading with, for instance, Morocco. This can only be avoided if a good trade agreement is reached. This is not a done deal. The UK will also leave the Customs Union. The means all kinds of customs regulations will come into play when trading with the UK. "The UK will technically become a third-party country with regard to customs. I expect this will dramatically increase the queues at Calais and Dover", said Elmer. "British customs is, at present, looking for 5,000 employees. They cannot handle the extra work with their current workforce."

TLN's goal is to inform the logistics sector and help them prepare for Brexit. There are diverse tolls they can use. They can see where they stand and how to better prepare themselves. "It is of the utmost importance that the logistics sector is prepared for what is to come", concluded Elmer. 

For more information and assistance with preparation for Brexit, visit 

www.hulpbijbrexit.nl