www.f j-online.com


France is in the difficult position of being the UK’s nearest neighbour, and natural transit point to and from the rest of Europe, as the country prepares – perhaps – to exit the EU. However, French ports and freight operators are determined to find solutions.


Brexit? We’re up for the challenge, says DFDS freight boss


Perhaps centuries of cross-


Post-Brexit systems for Dover, Calais and Dunkerque have been tested successfully by DFDS, says freight director, Wayne Bullen. He is confi dent that the cross-Channel ferry operator can meet the challenge of any UK exit from the EU. It follows a full-scale Brexit exercise using real trucks and full ships and was monitored by several trade groups, including the Freight Transport Association. On checking in at Dover,


all trucks received simulated customs documents, which were scanned by DFDS staff and paired with the booking, allowing the vehicles to proceed. Arrangements in Calais and Dunkerque went smoothly as well. Bullen said: “Nobody knows


the outcome, but I do know that ourselves, the ports we use – Dover, Dunkerque and Calais – the relevant authorities, customs and governments have all worked hard to ensure fl uidity and avoid a mass of trucks stuck together in one place.” He added that large road


freight operators have teams working on the issue, but there are still many smaller companies who have not had the opportunity to prepare, and this could cause disruption of the traffi c fl ow during the fi rst weeks aſt er Brexit. “That is a worry and can’t be


allowed to stand, so DFDS has played its part in communicating what freight customers must do.” Bullen added: “It is a strict


requirement that anyone moving goods in and out of the UK has an MRN – Movement Reference Number – for each item exported or imported. That requirement falls to our customer or their agent. “The MRN is then logged on


the freight movement system; without one, nothing will move or indeed be permitted to enter the ports for shipment. It must be stressed that trucks should not approach the ports but seek a secure holding area until they have a viable MRN. “But there should not be delay


if customers have the right documentation. If they go to our trade customers’ website at https://www.dfds.com/en/about/ insights/brexit they will fi nd a helpful check for exactly what they need. There is also a list of Qs and As they can download and print off for assistance. “In addition, we have staged


webinars that customers can watch and then dial access to experts and advice.” He added that DFDS can also ‘talk’ in real time to customer drivers via its (Freight Ferry Alerts) Drivers App launched two years ago. It delivers up- to-the-minute information on sailings, when the next


Channel rivalry have given the British a somewhat jaundiced view of the French economy. The


prevailing image right


now is of a country beset by gilets jaunes anti-government protestors and workers that are likely to go on strike at the drop of a beret. However, you don’t get to


become the world’s seven largest economies – and one of the world’s most diversified – without having strong fundamentals. The French can make or grow pretty much


anything from fois gras to bulk chemicals, from cars to Chanel perfume – not to mention the burgeoning services and financial sector. Brexit or not, France is also


a vital market for Britain. With the arguable exception of Ireland, it is our closest trading partner and one that UK exporters and importers naturally turn to. The latest European


Commission report puts the


country’s GDP growth


at a reasonably respectable 1.7%, with economic activity


expanding by 0.3% in the first quarter of 2019. It forecasts that GDP growth will remain broadly constant in the second quarter of 2019 and says that business sentiment remains reasonably optimistic. However, as in so many


export-orientated countries, the downside is weaker external demand which could weigh on economic activity, and this is expected to reduce annual GDP growth for 2019, in the final analysis, to about 1.3%. The IMF meanwhile, describes France’s economic


On the Brexit frontline French fundamentals remain strong


performance as “solid”, noting that the authorities have made notable progress in recent years on the thorny problem of introducing reforms to support growth. But it points out that external risks have increased and some domestic structural challenges remain. It adds: “France needs to


stay the course on reforms, deepening and complementing them with additional measures to bolster economic resilience, public finance sustainability, and inclusive long-term potential growth.”


BEGIN YOUR


JOURNEY TOWARDS MULTIMODALITY


ship is


available, and when it might be useful to switch to re-route due to congestion in or around one of the ports. “Ultimately, it is a three-


step process: awareness, communication and preparation,”


16 >>


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