Back in March 2017 the UK government officially gave notice for leaving the European Union by filing a notification under Article 50 of the EU Treaty, but what exactly does that mean for freight transport operations when the Brexit transition period ends on 1st January 2021?
Currently, with just over a month to go, this is still not clear as trade deal negotiations between the UK and the EU remain ongoing, with a no-deal Brexit now looking increasingly possible. Despite the uncertainty around exactly what terms the United Kingdom and the EU will be trading on in the new year, Premier Components are working proactively in the background to ensure that we prepared and ready to continue trading with our EU suppliers and customers once this transition period comes to an end.
To help us prepare, we have established an in-house Brexit taskforce who meet together on a weekly basis, at a minimum, to focus on ensuring that the company will be ready to trade seamlessly with our EU counterparts once the transition is finalised. As part of this work, our IT department have developed an automated system which links to our accounting software to create commercial invoices for both sales and purchase transactions. By systemising customs declaration requirements, and other relevant administration processes, we will help to eliminate the possibility of delays relating to shipping documentation preparation.
In addition to streamlining our administration procedures to improve efficiency, we are also currently in the process of contacting our current customer base to discuss each individual’s desired trade needs going forward, to determine what plans and new measures need to be put in place within our logistics department in particular. Part of these talks include whether customers want to arrange their own goods collections or use Premier’s own transport solutions post-Brexit. Gathering this vital information, in addition to our own preparations, will enable us to source a frictionless customs solution to offer our customers, and to develop a staff training programme which will ensure our workforce are knowledgeable on all new processes and procedures relating to Brexit.
Once the Brexit negotiations are concluded, we will keep our customers and suppliers informed of any internal or external changes which may affect their future shipments, but you can be assured that Premier Components’ priority is to keep our logistics processes and supply chain both efficient and competitive, whatever deal is agreed.
