The UK has now left the European Union, but the two camps are still negotiating their future trade relationship. TLN advises companies - despite the lack of clarity - to already prepare for the Brexit. Otherwise there is a risk of chaos at the borders.
Tempers at the negotiating table ran high last week. The UK government presented a bill undermining key elements of the withdrawal agreement. This angered the EU. With the lack of a breakthrough, a no deal seems to be one step closer.
TLN urges entrepreneurs not to wait for the outcome. After all, a lot is already known, argues Elmer de Bruin, Brexit coordinator at TLN. "Deal or no deal, Brexit is a fact and there is no escaping it soon. A lot is already clear about what you will soon have to comply with and what preparations you can already make now."
Many entrepreneurs have not yet made those preparations; a poll by TLN shows that 20 per cent of logistics partners are not prepared. Eric Postulart, vice president of TLN's Ferry Transport submarket: "For customers, it is often not fully clear what the impact of the Brexit is on their overall supply chain. As a result, they do not always ask their suppliers the right questions. Also with the Brexit, the principle of the weakest link in the chain will apply. Whether it is a customer of ours, a supplier or a logistics provider, we see that weak link in many supply chains."
Consequences for the entire supply chain
This could affect the entire logistics chain. Without registering with Portbase or Customs Entry Summary Declarations (ENS), transporters simply won't get on the boat. "If all those trucks soon come to a standstill at the ports, you won't escape enormous chaos," warns Postulart. "It's not just about exports and imports, but also customs formalities during transport, such as the ENS declaration, ferry manifest, or T-1 documents. In addition, longer duration, lower turnover of transport capacity and extra waiting time for drivers will also put pressure on transport costs. We will all be delayed. Because this chaos not only affects the ferry carriers or importers, but ultimately leads to the stoppage of the entire supply chain."
'Engage with each other'
According to TLN, preventing this is a common task: "Whether you are an importer, exporter, carrier, customs forwarder or shipper: engage with each other, audit each other and strengthen your supply chain. Above all, do not think 'they will be prepared', because in many cases they are not."
On GetReadyForBrexit, companies will find a checklist with all the steps they can already take to be prepared on 1 January.
