Redditch, UK: The Customs Clearance Consortium, set up last year by Oakland Invicta to address the shortage of customs agent capacity, brought together a delegation from sectors including food, automotive, pharmaceutical, manufactured goods, footwear, clothing, retail products and general cargo.
Representatives from the UK, Ireland, France, Spain, Lithuania and Germany joined consortium founder members for the meeting in Birmingham. The consortium appeals as a way of steering through the customs processes due to change when the UK leaves Europe, says Robert Hardy, commercial director Oakland Invicta.
“We’ve spent two years talking to European logistics providers large and small, who all share the same Brexit issues and concerns. The Customs Clearance Consortium was launched specifically as a solution to address the extra customs processes created by Brexit,” Hardy said.
“Our wide knowledge of the customs processes means we’re in a unique position to bring key industry players together and we have the capacity to deal with this additional volume. We estimate we could be handling in excess of 5,000 transactions per day,” he said.
“The Consortium’s experience in this arena puts us ahead and delivers a number of advantages including capacity, reduced pricing and peace of mind, with members encouraged to work together to create transport and warehousing solutions across Europe and covers most trade sectors.
“Understanding customs is one thing but understanding how to apply those processes on the ground is a skill. We often say, having the ingredients doesn’t make you a chef! Businesses need to be ready. Do not think that a Boris deal will mean no paperwork. It’s essential to understand ‘incoterms’ and their impact on trade and the customs processes.”
Robert Hardy is set to speak in Ireland, Lithuania, Hungary, Romania, Poland and the Czech Republic.
