Surviving Brexit
With so much information about Brexit, what it could mean to the UK economy, grocery prices, the property market, our holidays, our pets and our property abroad (lucky if you have it!), you might be wondering what you need to do, in practical terms, to survive the nightmare that is to come upon us on or around January 1st.
‘Forewarned is forearmed’ is a good mantra to have. But where do you find bonafide information, reliable and up-to-date, so that you stand a chance to prepare for the impending ‘end of days’ that is, quite literally, just around the corner?
Please find a few suggestions from someone who is terrified, but well prepared:
Become Familiar With the Official Guidance
- Do not print and save articles. They will soon become out-of-date and irrelevant.
- Always go to the official source.
- Fill in the online questionnaire to receive relevant guidance, in particular, if you deal with Northern Ireland.
- Sign up to receive updates.
Before we deal with a few basic steps that will assist your business in getting ready, let’s not forget that Brexit might also affect us in our private lives. To this end, I’ve prepared a few helpful links that you’ll find at the end of this article.
Business First…I’m a UK Importer, How Will Brexit Affect Me?
If you’re still asking this question, you have some catching up to do. However, do not panic, as the situation is changing rapidly, and anything you might have learned before now is likely out of date. But here are a few basic pointers, to help you identify the Brexit hurdles in your way if you’re an importer of fresh produce, or any other grocery, into the UK:
- A free trade agreement will not mean we’re still in Europe. The UK became the third country on 31 January 2020, and as such, life as we know it will cease to exist at the end of the transition period, on 31 December 2020. A “deal” or “no-deal” outcome will not change this.
- If you import, you need to become an importer. This means you need an EORI* number.
- Your safest bet, appoint a customs agent. They’ll be able to advise you further and handle all the nitty-gritty for a fee of around £50 per customs entry.
- Conduct a risk assessment of all of your European suppliers, to ensure they know what they have to do. Whereas you, the importer, carry out the process of importing goods, your supplier will need to export them out of Europe and provide you with the paperwork before you can handle the consignment.
- Conduct a risk assessment of all of your European hauliers, for the same reason. They’re usually quite switched on. You might need to find alternatives if your current hauliers are not keen on coming to the UK (I wonder why?)
- Investigate alternative routes for entry in the UK, including containers and freight train options.
- Find out what documentation needs to accompany your cargo, especially if you import controlled or regulated goods. You’ll be surprised how many of our groceries fall into this category. And because the UK does not have bilateral agreements for the validation of electronic certificates, some of these will need to be physical (yes, paper documents!).
And Other Stuff You Might Not Have Thought About:
- Double-check the terms of your supplier agreements. Become familiar with Incoterms 2020.
- Check that you can access government portals to carry out declarations, such as PEACH applications, etc. Some of the software is changing!
- Investigate labelling changes.
- Are your pallets ISPM15 compliant?
- What about pesticides / phytosanitary products?
- Are you aware of the residence status of your foreign employees?
- GDPR, we might have British rules, but if we interact with Europe, we must abide by their rules!
- Consider if your goods will be subject to duty. Get a duty deferment account. And if you have one, check that it has enough capacity to handle your duties from the New Year.
- Intrastat declarations, consider changes.
It would be remiss of me not to mention this, but if you’re a wholesaler or indeed a retailer that is currently importing fresh produce directly, either by the lorry-load or by the pallet, if you have any doubts whatsoever, now might be the time to start strengthening your relationships with your favourite (or most efficient) importers. After all, this is what their job has been about. Give them a chance to demonstrate their value.
Enough About Business…Supposing You Go on Holiday to Europe
- Check your passport is still valid.
- It’d be a good idea to take out travel insurance that includes medical treatment, as we won’t be able to get it free in Europe anymore.
- If you usually take your best friend abroad, and they happen to be an animal, you might want to check the rules.
- If you’re worried about post-Brexit mobile data charges because you go Facebook-mad when you’re in Benidorm – Brexit Guidance.
- And if you’re planning to hire a car, you definitely need to check a few bits and pieces.
Wait! I’m Not Even British!
- This is the very first thing you should do: Apply for settlement. Otherwise, you’re toast.
- Check your driver’s license. And if you hold a UK license, check this before you drive abroad.
I hope the above links have proven – or will prove useful as you embark on a never-before-tried-or-tested endeavour, one that will separate the men from the boys – or the women from the girls.
If You Have to Re-Negotiate Any Deals Following Brexit, There Is Plenty of Information on This Website. the Following Have Been Useful to Me:
To communicate the problem, see:
The Ultimate Guide to Communication Skills
To negotiate with a buyer, see:
The Ultimate Guide to Negotiation Skills
To resolve a conflict, see:
The Ultimate Guide to Conflict Resolution Skills
And if you think a customer is asking you to step out of the terms agreed in your supply agreement, you might want to consider this:
The Ultimate Guide to GSCOP.
* EORI stands for “Economic Operators Registration and Identification number”. Businesses and people wishing to trade must use the EORI number as an identification number in all customs procedures when exchanging information with Customs administrations.
