Dutch port companies are teaming up to prepare for the Brexit Port Community System Portbase is launching a programme together with various organisations to ensure the continued smooth flow of goods to and from the UK.
The participating parties are business association Deltalinqs, Dutch Customs, interest groups FENEX, evofenedex and Transport en Logistiek Nederland/ AFTO, ferry companies Stena Line, DFDS, CLdN, P&O Ferries and the port companies Amsterdam and Rotterdam.
Free movement of goods UK will be different
A working group with stakeholders is currently investigating what adjustments are needed for ferry transport. The overall logistics chain does not currently face customs obligations. The Brexit will change that.
"The virtual national border makes the free transport of goods to and from the UK completely different. Customs formalities create interdependencies in the logistics process, putting pressure on speed and efficiency. We all suffer from this and therefore we want to look for a solution together," said Arthur van Dijk, chairman of Transport en Logistiek Nederland.
Automated chain-wide solution
An automated chain-wide solution should minimise the damage of the Brexit. In Dutch ports, the administrative handling of incoming and outgoing container transport has been fully automated for years via Portbase's Port Community System. This solution is applicable to the short sea chain, but may also be applied to ferry transport. With the redesign of the Port Community System, the entire chain can provide and reuse automated data for various reports and declarations.
Steven Lak chairman of Deltalinqs: "Only the best prepared ports will continue to enjoy a preferential position in the European playing field. The Knowledge Institute for Mobility has estimated that, depending on a free trade agreement or a 'no deal scenario', Dutch seaports will lose between 2.0 and 4.4% of total throughput. Specifically, that means a cargo loss of between 9 and 20 million tonnes. By investing in an automated chain-wide solution, we can minimise this loss."
