- 14 December 2020
As the impact on the transport sector is still unclear, the consequences for costs and transit times cannot yet be predicted. We are currently seeing a significant increase in volumes to and from the UK. We see these pre-Brexit volumes with our own customers and in the market. Waiting times within the various links of the logistics chain are increasing enormously, causing delays in delivery (1-2 days) for groupage shipments. The current expectation is that due to the enormous volumes from 22 December onwards, we will no longer be able to guarantee regular departures with an arrival before 1 January. For bookings from 22 December onwards, we kindly ask you to provide these bookings (digitally) with a packing list and invoice because these shipments may already be subject to customs duties. As of today, LTL and FTL shipments (> 2 loading meters) are fully on demand because we can no longer guarantee the capacity for these larger shipments. We will keep you informed via SCEU/Mainchain. You can also contact our UK department if you have any questions (uk@be.mainfreight.com).
Have your invoice and packing list checked before January 1st
We would like to offer you as a service to share your invoice and packing list already with brexit@be.mainfreight.com. We will then check for you whether your invoice and packing list meet all the requirements to take care of the declaration of your goods. To find out what information your invoice and packing list should contain, please refer to sheet 15 of the enclosed Brexit presentation. If any of your information is missing, or your goods description is incorrect, or your documents reach us after 16.00 hours, we will not be able to ship your shipment to the UK after 1 January. Your shipment will then unfortunately be delayed. By using our control now you still have enough time to mention missing information on your invoice or packing list before January 1st. You will then be fully Brexit-ready!
Ireland & Northern Ireland
We get a lot of questions regarding our transit times and routes to (Northern) Ireland. At the moment we supply the entire island of Ireland via Dublin. We leave with both trailers and containers to Ireland and this way we keep all options open for ourselves. If it appears that a certain route is no longer optimal due to Brexit congestion, we will immediately take action and inform you.
Packing wood for import and export after Brexit
Do not take any risk in your trade with the United Kingdom. Use only packaging wood (such as pallets, wooden crates, boxes, cable reel and dunnage to secure the load) that has been treated against pests and marked according to the international standard ISPM 15. This standard becomes mandatory after Brexit.
Offer your receiver in the UK a helping hand
It is possible that your customer in the UK will ask you for help with the preparations for the Brexit. For customs clearance in the UK your customer can use our partner Davies Turner. Davies Turner will take care of customs clearance in the UK for your customer . If your customer would like to use this service, please let us know at brexit@be.mainfreight.com and we will make sure Davies Turner contacts your customer. Please mention the name and email address of your contact person in the mail.
Contact
For the time being, you can continue to send shipments to and from the United Kingdom as usual. If there is more clarity about the exact details and consequences of the Brexit, we will inform you about this.
We have completely updated our Brexit pages with the latest information. Here you will also find the Brexit presentation that answers the most frequently asked questions. In addition, you can find more information about transport to customs countries on the website of the European Commission (trade.ec.europa.eu/access-to-markets/en/content).
Do you still have questions or would you like to talk further about the Brexit? Please contact your account manager or our customs department at brexit@be.mainfreight.com.