Business News


Brexit: Deal or no deal?


The UK’s impending departure from the European Union on 31 October is set to create a frenzy among exporters. But help is at hand from the documentation team within the Chamber’s International Business Hub. Chamberlink’s Jon Griffin assesses the support that is available in the event of a deal or no-deal Brexit.


Deal or


‘If there is a deal, nothing happens immediately, it is business as usual and there is a transitional period’


David Harris


withdrawal agreement through Parliament against the odds. The prospect of a full decade of talks with the EU


A


was raised by Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce documentation manager David Harris as the clock ticks down to 31 October. As speculation that a ‘no deal’ was becoming the


likeliest scenario more than three years on from the 2016 referendum vote, David said: “A lot of people think that the withdrawal agreement is the problem. But it is just the agreement to leave – you have still got to reach a trade agreement, which could take a decade. “There will be changes but they will be gradual changes. There will be a transitional period where we agree the terms of the trade agreement. “That will create a new set of rules, and that could


take eight to 10 years to agree – the last trade agreement with Canada took seven years.” David cited the EU’s long-established protection of


its markets as evidence of a likely drawn-out process towards a trade agreement.


nother 10 years of exhaustive trade negotiations could lie ahead even if Boris Johnson manages to get the much-criticised


“The EU tries to protect its market to prevent China dumping cheap goods, for example. There would be just one trade agreement for all 27 states and you have got to get all 27 states to agree.” David said it would be “business as usual,” at least


initially, in the event of a deal. “There will be changes but they will be distant changes. “If there is a deal, nothing happens immediately, it is


business as usual and there is a transitional period. At some point I will be stamping a different document based on a different set of rules – we are in the land of guesswork. “It has taken three years to secure a withdrawal


agreement – the trade agreement will take significantly longer than three years. There would be no change for exports until some time in the future.” Regardless of the timescale, David believes that a no


deal outcome would be infinitely more problematical than a deal, whatever the ultimate length of the negotiations. “No deal is a shock to everybody – it is going to lead


to an unprecedented demand for our services. You could end up with exporters going to work on 1 November and not knowing what to do.”


A record month for documentations team


The documentations team at Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC) processed a record amount of export documents in July. The GBCC department handled more than 2,600 documents, the largest number the team have completed in one month. The monthly average is 2,000. The most popular destinations


for Greater Birmingham products were Turkey, the UAE and Qatar and included numerous products from vehicles to chicken feet, a speciality in China. Based in Chamber House,


Edgbaston, the documentation team process certificates of origin, EUR1 documents, ATR Documents and ATA Carnets, for businesses across Greater Birmingham. The Chambers are also an agent


for Arab-British certificates of origin. David Harris, documentation


manager at the Chamber, said: “We 6 CHAMBERLINK September 2019


Stamp of success! The documentation team (left to right): Jonathan Crosbie, Audrey Johnson, David Harris, Abby Millard and Elenor Tidmarsh


are astounded at the amount of documents we have been able to process in July, and I’m really proud of the team for upholding their exemplary quality service during


this busy time. The reason for this increase is due to a variety of factors including new overseas customs requirements, the weakness of the pound, and quite


possibly exporters looking for new markets as we edge closer to Brexit.


“Exporters may want to up-skill


their employees to cope with the large potential for change as the 31 October, the date the UK is due to leave the EU approaches. “The documentation and the


further GBCC team can provide resources and further advice for any businesses interested in upskilling their employees.” Alongside documentation


processing, the five-strong team offer practical advice on what is required to export goods overseas. Members of the GBCC are


entitled to a discount on most export documentation services.


To find out more about becoming a member of the Chambers, visit www.greaterbirminghamchambers .com/membership/apply-to- become-a-member/


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