“It doesn’t matter what kind of customs union is in place, or whether there is a free-trade agreement. After Brexit, full customs declarations will be required…” Carol-Ann O’Keeffe – The Revenue Commissioners, Ireland.
UK estimate a five-fold increase in the number of declarations as a result of Brexit. This generates a staggering 200 million additional documents per annum or 550,000 per day! Whilst tariffs and product regulations will influence trade flows, it is paperwork that has the potential to bring things to a grinding halt. It is recognised that there is a huge shortage of customs agents and this only adds to the problem.
As the market has come to expect, Girteka Logistics have identified the risk and taken positive remedial steps. Girteka Logistics is a founder member of the Customs Clearance Consortium, an expert customs agency created specifically to address Brexit challenges. The consortium can arrange customs clearance anywhere in the UK and Ireland, as well as having strong network connections across Europe.
“We are proud of being a founding member of the Customs Clearance Consortium, in a time when future UK’s customs regime expertise is in short supply. We in Girteka Logistics wanted to not only solve the problem but also excel in doing so, with the support of Robert Hardy and his colleagues we believe we have found the best possible solution” – said Kristian Kaas Mortensen, Girteka Logistics Director, Strategic Partnerships.
The consortium team includes well trained customs practitioners and is managed by a leading industry expert. With previous experience of running the largest 24hour customs freight terminal in the UK and a registered expert with the EU CFommission, Robert Hardy, Operations Director of the Consortium, is at the forefront of Brexit readiness preparations.
“We are delighted to have Girteka Logistics as a founder member of the consortium and will be working closely together over the coming months to stress test our plans for ‘frictionless’ freight flows no matter what shape Brexit finally takes” – commented Robert Hardy, Operations Director of the Consortium.
The UK is about to enter a transition period as defined by the Withdrawal Agreement which is expected to end in December 2020. Girteka Logistics, along with the Customs Clearance Consortium, are not standing idle but instead are busy designing and testing processes to allow customs documentation to be non-evasive and not allowed to hinder the free movement of Girteka Logistics trucks or, more importantly, client’s freight.
These are challenging times created by Brexit, however Customs Clearance Consortium, Girteka Logistics and our other members are up to the Brexit challenge.