The UK Government is planning for Border Control Posts (BCPs) in Northern Ireland - what I had told FTA members in December is becoming reality: there will be SPS checks on goods coming from GB in NI ports. Still, there are lots of details to clarify 1/ bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-no… BCPs will need to be big enough to handle new volumes - that's a question of space & resources. Industry will need to know what type of products they can handle (not all products can go through all BCPs) + their opening hours. 2/

Remember the 50,000 customs agents (intermediaries, not border force officials) needed to deal with post-transition customs formalities @pmdfoster @lisaocarroll @adampayne26 @alanbeattie ? We checked this with members of our customs WG yesterday - over 20 companies... 1/ ...from large logistics companies to smaller haulage firms & big retailers and manufacturers. They reckon that this number underestimates the needs, if anything. It's about right if you only consider the volume of new declarations required. 2/

Tariffs are only 1 dimension of the costs associated with international trade. Non-tariff barriers matter & shouldn't be underestimated - from the cost of completing declarations to additional regulatory costs + adaptation of supply chains to mitigate delays (warehousing...) 1/

https://twitter.com/AnnaJerzewska/status/1225748789417455616

And I'm not even talking about training & recruitment costs, cost of stockpiling for multiple deadlines in 2019, consulting costs etc... which are perhaps more temporary. Also consider potential additional transport costs (drivers waiting time, restrictions making journeys... 2/

With the #UKCoordinationGroup & #EPlenary about to adopt a resolution on the EU-UK future relationship, here are some elements which would be of great help to integrated supply chains & logistics on both sides of the border @davidmcallister @berndlange @CHansenEU @EP_Trade 1/

https://twitter.com/EP_Trade/status/1224339780269412352

1. 1st, a #transport agreement is an absolute must @davidmcallister @berndlange @CHansenEU @KarimaDelli : without an agreement, there is no fallback to allow traffic by road, rail & air freight to continue. Without it, planes won't fly & a very small number of EU & UK vehicles 2/

Frictionless trade is no longer a UK negotiating objective... not surprising based on previous declarations from the Chancellor but... 1. It raises a number of questions for NI-GB flows in particular & wld confirm what was in the UK Gvt WA bill impact assessment for GB-NI... 1/ ...which was aligned with UKTF slides & what @MichelBarnier & his team said repeatedly. 2. What does this mean for the UK's negotiating objectives? No trade facilitation measures? Wld seem weird. Surely AEO MRA (or 'trusted traders' MRA) is on the table. Was in political decl. 2/

Disappointing to see #trade only mentioned in relation to anti-dumping & level-playing field measures + 0 tariffs & quotas in @MichelBarnier speech. Surely negotiators could do better, even in 10 months. Industry will need more than that, on both sides @StefaanDeRynck 1/

https://twitter.com/MichelBarnier/status/1215225268488503302

0 tariffs & quotas is important but not sufficient. You need to ensure industry can actually benefit from it (Rules of origin!). Something @Kommerskoll knows something about... Considering how prod & #supplychains are integrated, industry needs + than bilateral cumulation 2/

Many thanks to @DFDSGroup for allowing our @newsfromfta delegation to take part in their #Brexit exercise on the Dover-Calais crossing @JohnLucyFTA @S_LD_ At check-in, we were asked whether we have proof of an EU #import #customs declaration, if we used a carnet & if we are carrying products subject to #sanitary or #phytosanitary requirements @newsfromfta #Brexit

For the sake of clarity, #hauliers are NOT responsible for fulfilling the vast majority of #customs & #regulatory requirements needed to be admitted on board the ferry / in the port area to pick up or deliver goods. This is the responsibility of 1/ ft.com/content/0a37d1… The #trader (acting as the 'importer' from an EU perspective). That task can be outsourced to an intermediary - of which there is a lack of in the UK so many companies are struggling to find the help they need. The #haulier needs to ensure his/her #driver is in possession of 2/

The biggest trap - on both the EU & UK sides - as contingency measures are adopted is to assume that this will make #NoDeal manageable. These measures are limited, will not last lg, and neither adopting them nor recruiting a bunch of customs officials is enough to be ready 1/

https://twitter.com/BBCkatyaadler/status/1098150945018560513

The UK myth of a 'managed #NoDeal ' & the EU myth of 'we're better prepared & it will hurt us less so we're alright' are both extremely dangerous. Adopting a few - welcome - but tporary simplifications & waivers or just repeating like a broken record that 'the UK will be... 2/

Shocked to see such a disingenuous story. If you had done your homework @DavidWooding @DominicRaab you would know that: 1. There's nothing secret about this, the contingency proposals were published on 19 Dec 2018; 2. It's not a deal but a set of unilateral temporary measures 1/

https://twitter.com/DominicRaab/status/1097013688270311424

These measures cld be revoked unilaterally without much warning; 3. It's not agreed yet, @Europarl_EN & the Council need to agree & haven't even met yet, 1st meeting is tomorrow ; 4. The unilateral measures will expire after 1 year for aviation & 9 months for road transport 2/