NEWS\\\


Issue 6 2019 - Freight Business Journal


7


Freightlink provides support at a difficult time


Freightlink Solutions, as a major provider of ferry bookings throughout Europe has been working to provide its customers with access to customs support and clearance services post Brexit. However, it is a race against time to establish all the necessary registrations and to implement systems and soſtware to be able to offer clients access to a spectrum of related import and export services. Freightlink director Mark


Stephens, says: “As time passes the likelihood of a hard ‘no-deal’ Brexit


looms closer and now


seems more likely than ever with just over a month to run until the date set for leaving the EU. We are therefore racing against the clock to be in the position of being able to offer our clients a hands-on customs clearance capability later this year. Freightlink’s customs declaration proficiency is already active and is now being further developed with EU transactions in view. This is a staged implementation process but since we do not as yet know


fine-tune our processes and procedures as we learn more about the final outcome of the Brexit negotiations.” The company says that while


companies have tried to focus on what the outcome of Brexit might mean and how it might affect them, for the past three years the possibilities have ranged from everything broadly continuing ‘as is’ to an extreme outcome with onerous barriers


been impossible to make any choice based on exactly what is required because nobody has known what shape Brexit will take and how it will affect the movement of goods in particular. Freightlink has anticipated


that the Brexit version, perhaps even by default, may well be ‘hard’, meaning that ultimately customs controls will be in place. The UK joined the EU 46


what will actually happen on 31 October, we are mindful of the need to remain flexible so that we can adjust our offering accordingly. It is critical we remain agile so that we can


to trade, constant journey restrictions and customs delays. The big issue for businesses including shipping lines is that the three years of vacillating since the vote to leave the EU has meant that preparations have been tentative, with many firms waiting for something more tangible. In short, it has


years ago, which means many of today’s people working in businesses having cross border trade have never experienced export and import controls, or if they have then exposure may have been only very limited; they may, therefore, have no real concept or experience of dealing with the associated documentation and administration that will become necessary should we exit the EU without a deal. As for Ireland, in 2018 over 11% of that country’s goods worth $18.7 billion were exported to the UK but


food


imports to the UK account for a much greater percentage, around a fiſth of the total. While many see big businesses being able to cope, albeit, with some disruption, smaller businesses lacking resources and being much more dependent on trade with the UK could be very severely hit. UK exports to Ireland by value


eclipse Irish imports, being over one and a half times greater, so there is a very significant interdependency of trade between the countries. Any interruption of flows would hit hard, immediately affecting the retail trade as well as other industry.


Southampton signs first port partnership


ABP Southampton has launched the first Port Economic Partnership (PEP) in the UK in conjunction with the Department for Transport. The initiative aims to create


stronger links between ports and Government and maximise long- term trade and economic growth. The partnership will be


launched at an event at London International Shipping Week, on board the NLV. As part of its Maritime 2050 strategy, launched in January, the


Government outlined PEPs as a way of creating a strong business environment for ports to thrive. The PEP will focus on areas


such as leveraging public and private sector investment and ensuring that planning processes are as efficient as possible, in order to facilitate ports’ investment in new freight-handling facilities and other infrastructure. It will also ensure that public and private sector organisations work together to improve global trading links aſter Brexit.


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