Statement from FTA: Border announcements are helpful, now get the deal done

Monday 13 July 2020

In response to the statement made by Michael Gove MP, made in the House of Commons this afternoon, about post-Brexit border arrangements, FTA’s Head of International Policy Alex Veitch said:

“Logistics as an industry is highly flexible and can adapt quickly to changing circumstances, as we have seen throughout the COVID-19 crisis, but nevertheless it is good to have confirmation of a large proportion of the detail of how goods are expected to move between the UK and EU from the start of next year.  We are advising our members to do all they can to get Brexit ready, for example adapting their systems to produce the right border documentation, working with customers to understand the requirements for each party in the supply chain, and enrolling in trusted trader schemes like CTC Transit.  These will all be needed whether or not the UK government strikes a deal with the EU.   

“However, logistics businesses are also urging the government to continue pursuing a deal with their EU counterparts as an urgent priority. This will to make it simpler to trade, ensure trucks and planes from the UK have access to the EU, and minimise economic disruption.  Logistics is committed to making the new relationship with the EU work – we now need government to do the same and strike a deal.”

FTA is one of the UK’s leading business groups, representing logistics businesses which are vital to keeping the UK trading, and more than seven million people directly employed in the making, selling and moving of goods.  With COVID-19, Brexit, new technology and other disruptive forces driving change in the way goods move across borders and through the supply chain, logistics has never been more important to UK plc. FTA supports, shapes and stands up for safe and efficient logistics, and is the only business group which represents the whole industry, with members from the road, rail, sea and air industries, as well as the buyers of freight services such as retailers and manufacturers whose businesses depend on the efficient movement of goods. For more information about the organisation and its work, including its ground-breaking research into the impacts of COVID-19 on the whole supply chain, please visit www.fta.co.uk.  

ENDS