Brexit delays buy time for leading French port


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While many people are baffled and frustrated at the slow progress of the UK’s Brexit negotiations, it does at least give major maritime gateways more time in which to prepare. This is particularly true of those at the sharp end, including Le Havre.


The repeated postponements of Brexit have enabled the Port of Le Havre operator HAROPA to consolidate its approach to the problem, chief executive Baptiste Maurand told a French government official during a visit in November. Maraund said that the initial


Brexit measures (begun as long ago as 2018 in time for the first deadline of 31 March 2019) had allowed it to organise for the long term in partnership with the port community and to roll out permanent infrastructure. Secretary of State at the


French Ministry for Europe and Foreign


Affairs with


responsibility for European Affairs was on a fact-finding


clearance system (clearance during the crossing


rather


than on arrival at the terminal) and the smart borders system (SI BREXIT), the French equivalent of the UK’s Goods Vehicle Monitoring Service (GVMS). This French customs system allows the status of goods to be identified and thus decide whether or not to issue permits to exit the unloading terminal. Hand in with this went the


month to go before the end of the transition period on 31 December - the possibility of a hard Brexit could not be ruled out at that stage. It was thus necessary to put in


phytosanitary inspections of goods of plant or animal origin; a probable strengthening of immigration controls


on


travellers by the French border police (PAF); and, most importantly, ensuring seamless port processes for imports and exports. Baptiste Maurand pointed


out to the minister: “Our priority at Le Havre port has been to put everything in place, in conjunction with our partners, to ensure that goods throughput continues to be fluid, especially for imports, seeking to ensure that inspection times are short so that congestion can be avoided at the terminal.” He said that, as early as


mission to Le Havre. The aim of the visit was to determine the current status of the Brexit arrangements implemented in the port, both the infrastructure necessary and the proposed additional transit solution for services between France and Ireland. Haropa and major ro


ro carrier Brittany Ferries presented the work they had carried out on traffic flows to and from the UK and in checks on entries to, and departures, from EU territory. With the future relationship


between the European Union and the UK still under negotiation – with barely a


place checks on goods at the border. This will in turn entail an obligation on businesses to complete import and export declarations as well as obtaining, where appropriate, sanitary or phytosanitary certificates for food exports and other documentation. In any case, whatever the


nature of the relationship that follows the transition period, the Port of Le Havre will once again be a physical border between the UK and the EU for people and goods entering the single market. This will entail the return of customs checks for goods; an obligation to carry out veterinary, sanitary and


September 2018, the port of Le Havre began to prepare its response to


the challenges


of Brexit by ensuring good coordination with the Normandy ports, developing essential infrastructure such as offices and checkpoints and preparing for the processing of documentary and physical flows. However, the various


postponements of Brexit did bring some welcome breathing space, he added. The Brexit project has been


structured around two core programmes for seamless goods flows. The first was to organise documentary flows based on the advance customs


organisation of physical flows. The Port of Le Havre carried out development work to ascertain the need for additional checks (as


customs, border police,


veterinary and phytosanitary inspections) in order to avoid any congestion at the terminal caused by possible tailbacks of goods vehicles. Taken together,


all the


measures implemented by the Port of Le Havre in preparation for Brexit cost €1.75m, said Haropa. Construction work was


carried out by SIVEP, the management body for the facility operated by the French veterinary and phytosanitary inspection department and this


is now capable of


processing trailers as well as containers. (Le Havre is a major French gateway for deepsea traffic as well as short sea and ro ro.) Le Havre is in fact the leading


Issue 8 2020 - Freight Business Journal


///FRANCE & CHANNEL PORTS


Le Havre joins carbon- cutting coalition


Haropa - Port of Le Havre - has joined the Getting to Zero Coalition, launched at the United Nations Climate Action Summit 2019 as part of a partnership with the Global Maritime Forum, Friends of Ocean Action and the World Economic Forum to combat climate change. It aims to reduce greenhouse


gas (GHG) emissions from shipping by at least 50% by 2050. To reach this goal and to make the transition to full decarbonisation possible, coalition members are committed to help developing


zero-emission ships and fuels by 2030. Haropa joins more than


90 companies from across maritime, energy and finance sectors in the coalition. Managing director Baptiste


Maurand commented: “We share the ambition to become a positive-energy port. By joining the Getting to Zero Coalition, we intend to actively contribute to the development of ever-cleaner service for our customers and stakeholders of the supply chain.”


Brexit exercises Excise shippers


While everyone in the freight industry has concerns over the end of Brexit transition on 31 December, movement of Excise goods will be particularly affected, says Russell Logistics director, Ken Russell. Scottish-based Russell


logistics is heavily involved in the Scottish whisky trade to Europe and beyond. The existing Excise


Movement and Control System (EMCS) that currently governs such movements is a single system and relatively straightforward to use, he told the Multimodal Brexit Tactics webinar on 5 November. Exports to the EU are opened just once, at the point of export in Scotland, and then closed when they reach destination in Europe. While HM Revenue & Customs have not released full details of what will replace


French port for external trade and fifth largest of any North European port for container trade, handling around 6,000


it after the end of Brexit transition, it’s likely that future Excise movements will have to be opened and closed multiple times as borders are crossed. It might be possible to use


the EU NCTS transit system for crossing multiple EU countries but it is not yet clear whether all EU member states will allow it. Moreover, added Russell, NCTS is customs-based and is very closely controlled. There are also potential


problems if movement guarantees are exhausted while goods are in transit, he added. As a result, he said: “Most


whisky producers are likely to be very cautious and will identify the best option only after they have carried out several movements. Most of our customers say that they plan to minimise stock movements in December and January.”


vessels a year, among them the world largest containerships. As well as its location astride the major European trade lanes, its advantages include 24-hour accessibility without any tide limitations. It handles over 70 million tonnes of cargo every year and accounts for 40% of French imports of crude oil. It is a member of the French


Haropa port system, which also includes the ports of Rouen and Paris, described as one of the biggest European port systems. Haropa has about 500 hectares of available land and estate reserves along the Seine corridor.


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