Implications for Businesses who Trade with Great Britain: Borders

Undoubtfully there will be significant challenges for all businesses which trade between EU and GB. There will be: 

• Significant challenge for SMEs

• The overall challenge is to ensure businesses prepare as soon as possbible for new arrangements and controls – regardless of the outcome of the negotiations, because border management will change on 1 Jan 2021

• Joint responsibility to prepare

• Cooperation is vital

• Preparation needed both in EU and the UK

At this point it is still uncertain what exactly the trade relationship will be with the United Kingdom after end of the Transition Period. We do know that customs procedures will apply to the trade between the UK and the EU.

Today the paperwork needed to transport goods between the Belgium and the UK consists of a couple of documents: an invoice and contract of carriage.

From January 1st 2021 at least 9 additional procedures are added, e.g the certification of the goods, export declaration, the exit of the goods and the requirements needed to then enter the EU, and of course requirements to import goods into GB.

Read all the details in these slides.