Was thinking about UK-EU post-Brexit customs cooperation earlier today, prepping for a presentation on obstacles to trade facilitation and implementation of FTAs in Africa.
Oddly enough a lot of the same points and challenges remain. Whether it's AfCFTA or the UK-EU deal
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In both cases, when all is said and done and the agreements signed and ratified, trust will be what determines the level of success
✅ Between customs authorities
✅ Between customs authorities and traders
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The level of confidence you trading partner's customs authorities have in your traders and your own processes determines how they treat your goods at the border.
In reality that often has less to do with the trade deal and more with the dialogue between the two countries
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Trade deals do very little for border processes and if the trust isn't there, there is very little a "customs cooperation" chapter can salvage.
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In that context, the UK's lack of readiness, chaotic prep for introducing a new border, with all the multiple non-existing IT systems, lack of trader guidance and delays can actually be more damaging for customs cooperation than where we are in the talks at the moment
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Worth remembering that a French customs officer doesn't necessarily care about LPF or the politics of Brexit talks - they care about whether or not they can trust the paperwork coming from the UK, whether or not they can rely on it.
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And they work with our customs authorities and our traders/hauliers on daily basis. They speak to them.
All the frustration I see in the private sector is def also visible to customs authorities in other EU member states.
We can't be the only ones hearing these complaints.
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If @RHANews is frustrated to the point of writing an open letter - that frustration is surely felt on the other side of the Channel.
What reassurance will EU's customs authorities get before 1 Jan to convince them that we're ready and can be trusted?
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My guess is none.
So my point is - the way we've been preparing for this change will actually have a significant impact on the level of controls on EU borders from 1 Jan.
And not in a good way.
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If you were a French customs officer on the 2nd of Jan how confident would you be in UK's border processes, systems and people?
/ends
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Hello. I don't do this anymore but since the BTOM Brexit border checks are finally here I thought I'd post something.
1⃣ The rules changed in Jan 2021. This is when these checks should have been introduced
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2⃣ They were postponed five times as this country tried to avoid the consequences of its own decisions. The increased costs and burden are a direct result of the choices made between 2016 and 2020.
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3⃣ I deeply sympathise with businesses facing these new requirements. They have been living on borrowed time since 2021.
4⃣ We weren’t ready the last five times, we’re not ready now. We will never be fully ready.
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A couple of thoughts on the Windsor Framework and the new solution for the GB/NI/ROI border.
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1. Details still need to be worked out
As expected, still a lot of work to be done. Whether it's non-steel TRQs, the new Trusted Trader scheme or a reimbursement system for goods that went via red lane but stayed in NI.
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And as a result, the deal will take some time to implement. The EU documents set out the expected timeline - we're not out of the woods yet.
1⃣ According to a 2020 study two-thirds of the e-commerce products imported into the EU fails to meet EU safety laws.
2⃣ Part of the equation is that e-commerce has changed the way border checks need to be done. As trade is more “fragmented”, border checks are trickier.
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Sub-point here - the arrival of Alibaba (et co.) was met with a political decision to accommodate/facilitate.
While supporting e-commerce makes sense on many levels, compromising domestic controls may not. There is a fine balance between these two.
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First stop today - Motis. Mostly an inbound Inland Border Facility with additional services such as some export processes and live animal checks. Great driver facilities too
Port of Dover. Traffic buildup due to P&O ferries not operating.
Big thank you to @Port_of_Dover for hosting us earlier today and showing us around.
Anyone can now purchase a bulletproof vest or a helmet and export it provided that they can demonstrate it's going to an end-user in Ukraine.
This also covers transit of such equipment
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There has been A LOT of questions on that lately - how do I purchase a bulletproof vest in Poland and export it to Ukraine. Under normal circumstances, it's not that easy. Such movements are controlled.
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