Thread by @Seven7Kevin

Seven more people are now beginning to understand the real impact and why Brexit was a terrible idea. A mini thread. 1/12

Prelude: Two colleagues working on a project for a Danish customer are going to install some equipment the customer has bought from us. 2/12

They decided to do this themselves rather than use a local team. Meeting called to discuss. 3/12

They are taking a van with the equipment the customer has bought, some spare parts and all their tools and equipment to necessary to get the job done. 4/12

Meeting progresses through various aspects of the installation- have they got everything, etc.

Whatever they have, I have something… a nagging doubt.
5/12

“Erm… do you have customs paperwork for all this?”
“What?”
“Customs paperwork. Do you have it?”
“What for?”
“Customs”
This is getting tedious.
6/12

“Well we didn’t need any before”, tetchily.
“Things have changed. Remember Brexit? You need it now”
“What paperwork?”
“The goods the customer has paid for will need to declared and there may be duties to pay depending on the classification and origin of the goods”
7/12

Silence.
😳
“And your tools. Are you leaving them there or taking them back with you?”
“Taking them back”
“Then you’ll probably need a Carnet listing every tool and piece of equipment”
…
“WHAT?!?!”
8/12

“This is going to take forever.”
“Yes, and you’ll need a customs agent to file the paperwork for you so it’s all ready when you get to the port”

Discussion now turns to the planned journey.
9/12

They’re planning to route Dover - Calais and drive to Denmark. They’re hoping to do it in 15 hours straight.

“What if you get a customs inspection?”
“What? We just went straight through before”
“Yes, but we were in the Customs Union then. Now we’re not.”
10/12

Lots of moaning and exasperation.

“And I hate to break this to you but… are you allowed to do the work?”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you need a work visa?”
🤬
🫣
11/12

This is how, very slowly, there will be a constant dawning of realisation that Brexit was a ridiculous idea and just how much it’s holding the UK back. Only seems to hit home when it impacts directly.
12/12

Update +24 hours.
The Director who green-lighted the trip finds himself in a tricky position:
On the one hand he's livid that the install has been torpedoed.
On the other he's grateful that I pointed all this out before it was too late to do anything about it.

I imagine he's having to explain this further up the chain.

Update +48 hours
The need for a Carnet has apparently been "accepted" by management. I imagine in a similar way to how reality has been "accepted", presumably that required a meeting too.

Update: slight change of sentiment. They’re getting a Carnet even though they now say they think they don’t need one (they do). Not even checking about Visas. 🍿