Use border experience to ease future trade, says Logistics UK
Friday 31 January 2025
Government should take learnings from the logistics industry when delivering its forthcoming Trade Strategy to ensure trade can flow as smoothly as possible across the nation’s borders, according to the biggest business group in the sector. Logistics UK, which represents more than 20,000 businesses, is urging government to listen to the experiences of its members and take the sector’s operational needs into account so future border changes do not become barriers to trade. The call comes as the final phase of the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) is implemented on 31 January and requires Safety and Security Declarations (SSD) for imports into Great Britain from the EU.
“The introduction of the new border controls over the last 12 months has been far from smooth, with constant changes to deadlines and lack of clarity over precisely how the new procedures were being implemented,” comments Logistics UK Head of Trade and Devolved Policy Nichola Mallon. “Now that the final phase of BTOM is being implemented, the government must learn from this experience when designing and delivering its forthcoming Trade Strategy by meaningfully engaging with the logistics industry which has the expertise when it comes to understanding trade barriers and the solutions to streamline and grow trade.
“The logistics sector has a critical role to play if the UK is to succeed in resetting its trading relationship with the EU. The government must rebuild confidence throughout our sector that it can provide the pragmatic solutions business needs to trade smoothly and boost growth.
“Europe is the UK’s closest and largest trading partner and represents a huge opportunity for business to deliver the economic growth the UK needs. To do this, our industry needs an evolution and expansion of our trading relationship that focuses on making trade as frictionless as possible. This includes the negotiation of a new and comprehensive veterinary agreement which would boost trade and speed up the movement of animal and plant goods across the border, by simplifying export and import procedures while maintaining food safety.
“Our member organisations are the companies which export and import the goods that we all rely on every day and their experiences since the UK left the EU have shaped our asks of government. We need the government to work with the EU urgently on customs and border policies to smooth the flow of trade, including creation of pragmatic solutions to the introduction of the EU Entry and Exit System (EES), and an expansive review of the EU UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement to deliver mutual benefits to both economies.”
Logistics UK 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 decarbonisation, 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. Logistics UK 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, please get in touch - here.
