There are just 57 days until the end of Brexit, or rather the end of the transition agreement which will come to an end and either there will be a long term trade deal or there won’t. The UK’s Prime Minister announced recently that time had run out on the 15th of October and the country must prepare for a no deal scenario and that was immediately followed by the EU rushing back to the closed negotiations saying that a deal was still possible and that they were ready to compromise on legal texts – your guess is as good as anyone’s on what might happen before the end of the year.
However, having left the EU we’ve enjoyed a few months of normal trading with the EU as if we were still members under the transition agreement and that is about to come to an abrupt halt by the 1st of January 2021. There are some steps all retailers should be taking and these are actions you will need to do regardless of whether there is a long term trade deal with the EU or not.
In January we will be holding a webinar Peak, Brexit and COVID – What on earth happened?, in which we’ll share first hand experiences and unique insights on what really happened across carriers, sellers and buyers from the start of Black Friday through to New Year sales. Register today to get a reminder nearer the time when we’ll be looking at first-hand experiences and unique insights on what really happened across carriers, sellers and buyers from the start of Black Friday through to New Year sales.End of Brexit: Things you need to do #3
Over the next few weeks, in partnership with GFS, we are going to bring you some bite sized actions you need to take, each of which will only take a short amount of time to complete. Tip #1 is to get an EORI number. Tip #2 is classify your products using HS Codes. and Tip #3 is to make sure your carriers are ready for Brexit.
Some carriers are more prepared than others and will require various levels of data (such as product SKU, EORI number and HS codes). Some have done nothing at all. It’s important you work out if your carrier has put plans in place, and what information you will need to provide to ensure that getting parcels and goods through Customs is as seamless as possible.
One might be forgiven for assuming that all carriers will have done everything they need to do to prepare for both the scenarios of a no deal break with the EU or a potential last minute trade deal. However that’s not necessarily the case and you don’t want to be caught hopping on the 1st of January 2021. If you’re not sure about your carriers, GFS can help give you impartial guidance and advice on which carriers are Brexit-ready to ensure smooth cross-border shipping after Brexit.
