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Issue 8 2020 - Freight Business Journal


from the UK, but Europa has


devised a cunning plan – it will route French cargo via a customs warehouse it has opened in Veurne in Belgium, close to the French border. Veurne sits virtually astride most routes from Dunkirk or Eurotunnel to Paris, Strasbourg and most other destinations so the time penalty will be virtually non-existent, Baxter believes.


Europa operates groupage


services to Lille, Strasbourg, Lyon and Rennes in partnership with Ziegler and to Paris with DGS. As it will be some time before


competitors can replicate EuropaFlow – if at


all – Baxter


believes that his company is set for a period of good growth. Despite possible delays at the ports, he believes that Europa will be able to maintain its existing schedules and frequencies.


Europa’s French exports have


lately been growing strongly, with double digit monthly growth figures and September 2020 was up on the same month last year, despite that being a very strong one in the run up to the last Brexit deadline. Despite the Covid dip in March and April, 2020 year to date export activity is only 4.6% down on 2019, while imports are only slightly reduced. “I don’t exactly know what’s


driving the market, but I think it could be stockpiling before Brexit,” says Baxter. However, he is realistic enough to suggest that January 2021 will see a downturn as traders work their way through accumulated stocks and cautiously get to grips with the new customs regime. That though could be a blessing


as it will keep pressure off freight networks and allow the customs system to bed down.


CustomsPlus offers easier route to entries


Freight industry and City of London technical experts have joined forces to create CustomsPlus, a system that aims to take much of the heavy liſting out of creating customs entries. The system can scan paper


and electronic documentation in any format such as invoices, packing lists, GSP certificates or certificates of origin for imports or exports and extract, validate and enrich the data they contain


so that it can be used for customs clearance purposes. It can then feed the


information either direct into Chief, CDS or the Irish Customs computer or to customs brokers, without the need to construct complex EDI interfaces. The system is capable


of handling up to a million documents an hour but can be scaled up further if required. It has been designed to minimise


Ferry agent offers fast-moving


customs service


Freight ferry ticket agent Freightlink Solutions has launched CustomsLink, a service that allows traders to deal with post-Brexit transition customs formalities. It has been designed to


support fast-moving ferry and Eurotunnel traffic, such as hauliers, couriers and small traders with multi-drop loads and short lead times. Cloud-based software creates customs documentation, electronically via a step-by-


step process, on desktop, smartphone and tablet devices and users can also submit safety and security declarations. Hauliers can update shipping routes, group loads and add and remove consignments whilst on the move. Freightlink head of customs


Amanda Gunn says that most existing offerings used legacy software based on the deep- sea container model, which did not work for hauliers or traders.


Logistics UK signs customs decs deal


Logistics UK (formerly FTAS) has signed a partnership with customs declarations expert AEB, to help members prepare for


new trading conditions


with the EU. Members will gain discounted access to AEB’s software platform to make it easier to process goods as they transit to and from the EU. Logistics UK head of


membership Al Richardson, said: “For many businesses


trading with the EU, the new trading conditions from 1 January will be the first time that they have ever had to make customs declarations – our exclusive partnership with customs experts AEB aims to remove the anxiety and unfamiliarity which this could cause and facilitate a smooth, easy transit for goods to EU customers, saving members time and money in the process.”


the number of ‘touch points’


between the trader and customs or the customs broker and automate the customs declaration process as far as possible. It has also been designed to


interface with the maximum number of brokers and reduce the headache for traders needing to feed information to multiple different brokers, each with


different requirements.


It also reduces the burden on traders without specific in- house customs expertise, who now find themselves having to make entries for the first time from 1 January 2021. Major retailers, for example, are facing a 40% increase in the number of customs declarations they need to make from January, while other firms will be making entries for the first time ever. There


is also a serious


Birmingham forwarder steps up storage ahead of Brexit


Birmingham-based International Forwarding Ltd (IFL), has taken over a third large, secure, storage facility to meet increased demand due to coronavirus restrictions and an anticipated surge in volume ahead of Brexit. The new unit will provide space for up to 6,000 pallets and is close to the city centre, the M42 and M6, and Birmingham International Airport. The 3,700sq m (40,000sq ſt) site


in the Garretts Green area of the city is already starting to fill up with short and long-term goods storage bound for the UK and Europe. A year ago IFL, a Palletways member, almost doubled its storage space with a second 2,000 sq m facility at


Logistics UK members


are being offered a lifetime 5% discount on the price of AEB’s four software packages, which can be used to speed up customs declarations by making them online before the goods leave their point of origin. A seven stage online step-by-step process guides users through the process, while the platform can be scaled up or down according to the size of the export business. Users are supported by easy- to-follow operational


videos


online and have access to support and help online and by phone.


its Coleshill headquarters. Managing director Rob Pike


said: “Like many other forwarders, our warehouse operations have been running at near maximum capacity throughout lockdown. The trend for over-purchasing of goods from Europe is one that is likely to continue in the lead up to Brexit, and for the next year at least, as companies try to cushion the impacts of disrupted supply chains. We are also now able to offer additional temporary space to other freight and logistics operators who are also at capacity.”


Later, addressing the


Multimodal Brexit Tactics webinar on 5 November, Baxter revealed that Europa had expanded its transit shed space by 75% to cope with an expected upsurge in consignments being held awaiting customs clearance. It had also increased its T-Form guarantee and its deferment accounts. He added that there was a wide


range of preparedness amongst Europa’s customers. Clearly, some


shortage of customs broker capacity and salary levels in the industry have soared. However, CustomsPlus’s aim is not to replace brokers, but to make their task easier. It will also make it easier for people without specific customs expertise – for example, hauliers collecting goods - to upload documentation into systems. CustomsPlus can also check


HS codes. A code generated by an exporter in Europe may not be correct or may be less advantageous to an importer in


///BREXIT


were not planning to ascertain commodity codes or carry out vital work until the last moment. However, Baxter said: “While it may be a bit hairy in January, I think it will ultimately be OK.” However, he anticipated that


there would be a reduction of around 20% in the volume of goods moving aſter Brexit and traders would probably seek to avoid unnecessary cross-border movements.


the UK. The company has offices in


Chester UK, Dublin in Ireland and the Netherlands. Much of its technology is drawn on similar systems already used in the banking industry to process documentation, but has been adapted to the specific needs of customs clearance. The CustomsPlus team has


been setting up interfaces with customs brokers and has been carrying out extensive trials and ‘shadow’ clearances in advance of Brexit day on 1 January.


TT Club cuts through Brexit complexity


TT Club has launched a Brexit webpage resource in an attempt to bring clarity to the complexities and the uncertainties of Brexit. It aims to collate, in a single accessible location, a wide variety of available information across all jurisdictions and disciplines in the freight supply chain. Through researched articles and the webpage’s dynamic frequently asked questions area, TT will endeavour to develop practical guidance and advice on the complex Brexit. Unfortunately, of course, many


Prepare for clearance now, says Quality Freight chief


Quality Freight managing director Sebastian Gardiner is urging importers and exporters to prepare robust customs clearance procedures ahead of 1 January to avoid unwanted delays. As the Brexit transition period ends, customs clearance for goods moving between the EU and UK will become mandatory, regardless of whether there is a deal or no-deal Brexit and businesses need to prepare. Quality Freight is the forwarding


and shipping arm of Peel Ports, owner of the ports of Liverpool, Heysham and Sheerness. Gardiner said: “As Brexit


negotiations continue, we still don’t know if the government will reach a final deal. However, what is certain is that customs clearance procedures are going to change. At Quality Freight, we’re set up for both eventualities and our intention is to continue to ensure the seamless movement of goods.”


issues are yet to be clarified at government level and until such time that there is definitive guidance on customs procedures, trade agreements and solutions to potential transport disruption, no


supply chain stakeholder


will have the knowledge to prepare themselves entirely. TT’s webpage will continue to be updated through the process and respond to identified industry concerns. https://www.ttclub.com/


products-and-services/loss- prevention/brexit/


He added: “It’s no surprise that


all businesses will be impacted by the changes Brexit will bring, and it’ll be necessary for them to re-evaluate their business model, maybe using other ports across the country as regional gateways, to avoid costly delays and future proof their supply chains. “To improve resilience ahead of


Brexit, we have invested heavily at our Liverpool, Heysham and Sheerness ports


to relieve


pressure by ensuring they have the capacity to accommodate switch routes and modes.” “We’ve


also increased


throughput capacity for HGV trailers, containers and storage to support smooth operations for our customers.”


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