Gov's "time is running out" ads may seem strange in light of how much guidance is still missing (hello, the Irish Sea border). However, believe it or not, they are needed and various stakeholders have been asking for them.
There are still so many companies that are not doing all they need to do before 1 Jan. It's not easy, and yes, there is guidance missing.
But companies also need to take some responsibility for their readiness - even though this is not a situation they should be in.
/2
This campaign is better than the previous "pst, something is happening at the end of the year" one. Call to action and I'd even like them to say - if you don't act now you might not be able to move your goods.
/3
Sure, it would be much better to have full guidance, confidence that both the Gov and its agencies, as well as intermediaries, are ready. That all IT systems have been tested - you know - what the EU has.
/4
But it is what it is and this is all we've got.
So yes - a lot we already know, it probably won't all work on 1 Jan and there won't be much companies can do about it but they still need to do their part and get ready as much as they can.
/5
This new campaign comes as a response to specific requests from stakeholders so I'm all on board with that. Better late than never I guess🤷♀️
/end
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An important point to make - the EU is applying full procedures to UK goods as of 1 Jan cause that is what it’s obliged to do under international rules.
The EU shares borders with countries with a much closer economic relationship than the one we'll likely to end up with – why should goods from these countries be subject to full customs and other border procedures and goods from the UK not?
(WTO Art I) 👇
/2
I appreciate we never expected them to apply these rules to US, but to be fair we've known for 4 years that "we've got to be ready for the requirements that they have been clear apply to all third countries.”
/3
I can't find the original report commissioned by @ScotConvention but I'm starting to think the quote relates to EU nations and the borders between them.
Cause when you're talking about external EU borders - in particular with countries that do not have access to SM the friction is real. Reports are helpful but you can also check real-time info on the waiting times on these borders.
/2
Not going to go into "not everyone is stopped" - you remember coming from back from a non-EU country and not having to show your passport? Me neither.
But agree on not every truck being checked. Of course. Selective, spot checks only depending on the capacity at the border.
/3
First stop Canada. Yes, we rolled it over and agreed to re-negotiate. That’s great (although doesn’t really give us full continuity). But it’s a success.
And then there is this 👇
/2
Women’s economic empowerment and the environment - two of the areas where FTA provisions are pretty much "nice to have": don’t change much, are on best endeavours principle and the work needs to anyway be done domestically by each party.
/3
I like this approach - sign a continuity deal and commit to negotiating a proper one later on.
Allows you to maintain some sort of continuity but acknowledges that the EU deal is not necessarily fit for purpose for the UK-Canada trade relationship.
More importantly, this removes the Jan deadline for negotiating a proper FTA. Until you do, the roll-over applies. Meaning parties have more time to ensure the new deal is exactly what they want it to be.
/2
The downside, of course, yet another deal for the UK to negotiate. While LT can talk about the UK having large numbers of negotiators, few of them have proper experience and we will still be somewhat overstretch
/3
Our ports haven't changed, it's not like we have less space in Dover now than we did 5 years ago.
The nature of ro-ro traffic or logistics involved haven't changed.
The customs/SPs procedures for non-EU members haven't fundamentally changed.
/2
If you had asked someone in 2015 to outline the risks related to moving fresh products from the EU to the UK under an FTA/no-deal, they would have told you.
/3