• Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Supplier Directory
  • SCB YouTube
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Logout
  • My Profile

  • CORONAVIRUS
  • LOGISTICS
    • Air Cargo
    • All Logistics
    • Express/Small Shipments
    • Facility Location Planning
    • Freight Forwarding/Customs Brokerage
    • Global Gateways
    • Global Logistics
    • Last Mile Delivery
    • Logistics Outsourcing
    • LTL/Truckload Services
    • Ocean Transportation
    • Rail & Intermodal
    • Reverse Logistics
    • Service Parts Management
    • Transportation & Distribution
  • TECHNOLOGY
    • All Technology
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cloud & On-Demand Systems
    • Data Management (Big Data/IoT/Blockchain)
    • ERP & Enterprise Systems
    • Forecasting & Demand Planning
    • Global Trade Management
    • Inventory Planning/ Optimization
    • Product Lifecycle Management
    • Sales & Operations Planning
    • SC Finance & Revenue Management
    • SC Planning & Optimization
    • Sourcing/Procurement/SRM
    • Supply Chain Visibility
    • Transportation Management
  • GENERAL SCM
    • Business Strategy Alignment
    • Education & Professional Development
    • Global Supply Chain Management
    • Global Trade & Economics
    • HR & Labor Management
    • Quality & Metrics
    • Regulation & Compliance
    • SC Security & Risk Mgmt
    • Supply Chains in Crisis
    • Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility
  • WAREHOUSING
    • All Warehouse Services
    • Conveyors & Sortation
    • Lift Trucks & AGVs
    • Order Fulfillment
    • Packaging
    • RFID, Barcode, Mobility & Voice
    • Robotics
    • Warehouse Management Systems
  • INDUSTRIES
    • Aerospace & Defense
    • Apparel
    • Automotive
    • Chemicals & Energy
    • Consumer Packaged Goods
    • E-Commerce/Omni-Channel
    • Food & Beverage
    • Healthcare
    • High-Tech/Electronics
    • Industrial Manufacturing
    • Pharmaceutical/Biotech
    • Retail
  • REGIONS
    • Asia Pacific
    • Canada
    • China
    • Europe
    • Latin America
    • Middle East/Africa
    • North America
  • THINK TANK
  • WEBINARS
    • On-Demand Webinars
    • Upcoming Webinars
  • PODCASTS
  • VIDEOS
  • WHITEPAPERS
Home » Brexit Red Tape Is Becoming a Jackpot for Customs Pros

Brexit Red Tape Is Becoming a Jackpot for Customs Pros

Brexit Trucking
July 21, 2020
Bloomberg

The next big money-making opportunity of Brexit has emerged: selling customs services.

With Britain’s split from the European Union heralding the introduction of border controls between the U.K. and its largest trading partner for the first time in three decades, companies are rushing to acquire the means to file the new customs paperwork that will be required from January.

The surge in demand is a boon for firms such as AEB SE, a closely-held Stuttgart-based provider of software that helps users to file trade declarations. In recent weeks, the firm has seen a five-fold increase in inquiries for its services, which can cost as much as 2,000 pounds ($2,500) a month.

AEB, whose clients include BAE Systems Plc, Volkswagen AG and Kellogg Co., said it expects to process about 500,000 customs declarations a day from next year based on the business it has already won — an increase of at least 2,000% on current levels.

“This is just the beginning of it,” said Geoff Taylor, AEB’s U.K. managing director, who expects demand to grow further as more companies ramp up preparations for Brexit. “I expect our business to continue to be busy for the rest of the year.”

The new red tape is an automatic consequence of Britain leaving the EU’s customs union. Companies will still have to file additional paperwork even if the two sides reach a trade deal this year. Negotiations over that accord will resume in London next week.

Extra Costs

With 400 million extra customs declarations needed annually, and each costing an average of 32.50 pounds, the extra paperwork will add about 13 billion pounds of costs to U.K.-EU trade annually. And if companies don’t have the right documents, their goods risk being held up at ports, causing traffic jams and supply chain disruption.

In a 206-page document outlining its Brexit border plan, the U.K. government says: “Customs declarations are complicated.” This month it started an ad blitz to encourage businesses to prepare for the new rules — either by seeking the services of a customs agent or handling the declarations themselves.

Cashing In

Other startups are seeking to cash in by automating the customs workload. AiDock, whose software helps complete declarations faster, has been demonstrating its product to companies in the U.K. and Ireland. The company, which is based in Israel, has seen a spike in interest, according to William De’Ath, its head of business development for Europe.

James Coombes, co-founder of Vector.ai, a London-based startup which extracts data from documents to speed up the process of filling out customs forms, said firms will have to turn to technology because of a shortage of human customs brokers. The U.K. logistics industry expects at least 50,000 customs agents will be required to handle the extra Brexit paperwork, but early data from training providers suggest the government is far from reaching that target.

“It can take from six months to a year to train a new customs broker, and it’s just unrealistic to bring on that amount of staff in such a short time-frame,” Coombes said. “We’re in a really good position to help.”

The other big winners are established freight-forwarders such as Kuehne + Nagel International AG, DHL International GmbH and DB Schenker, which handle goods movements and customs processes for multinational companies. KGH Customs Services, a Swedish firm set to be acquired by A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S, said it has seen a rush of companies wanting their help.

“It’s now selling like hot potatoes,” said Steve Cock, KGH’s director of customs consultancy for U.K. and Ireland. “People are now actually starting to spend money.”

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED VIDEOS

Logistics Freight Forwarding/Customs Brokerage Global Gateways Global Trade Management Technology Global Supply Chain Management Global Trade & Economics Regulation & Compliance Europe
KEYWORDS Europe Freight Forwarding/Customs Brokerage Global Logistics Global Trade & Economics Global Trade Management Regulation & Compliance
  • Related Articles

    Firms Brace for Extra Brexit Red Tape Amid Supply Chain Squeeze

    Firms Hit by New Brexit Red Tape as IT System Stops Trucks

Bloomberg

CVS, Rite Aid Ration Contraceptive Pills as Demand Surges

More from this author

Wake up to live
“Supply Chains in Crisis”
updates and the latest Supply Chain News!

Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter

Timely, incisive articles delivered directly to your inbox.

Popular Stories

  • coworkers collaborate

    Podcast | Linking Planning and Execution for Real-Time Decision-Making

    Sales & Operations Planning
  • FedEx

    FedEx Faces Big Changes as New Boss Confronts Higher Costs, Angry Contractors

    Last Mile Delivery
  • cyber crime

    The Cyber Blind Spot That Makes Every Supply Chain Vulnerable

    Regulation & Compliance
  • 0627_Guitars.png

    Sweetwater Responds to the ‘New Face of Agility’ in Supply Chain and Merchandising

    Inventory Planning/ Optimization
  • delivering package

    Consumers Prefer Personal Touch, Predictability, Over Super-Fast Delivery

    Last Mile Delivery

Digital Edition

Scb may 2022 sm

2022 Supply Chain ESG Guide

VIEW THE LATEST ISSUE

Case Studies

  • 3PL Doubles Productivity With Robots to Fulfill Medical Supply Orders

  • E-Commerce Company Cuts Order Fulfillment Time by 40%

  • Fashion Retailer Halves Fulfillment Time With Omichannel Automation

  • Distributor Scales Business by Integrating Warehouse Automaton Software

  • Fast-Growing Fashion Brand Scales E-Commerce Fulfillment With Whiplash

Visit Our Sponsors

Yang Ming Alithya Barcoding
Blue Yonder BNSF Logistics Generix
GEP GreyOrange Here
Honeywell Intelligrated IFM Inmar
Keelvar Kinaxis Korber
Liberty SBF Locus Robotics Logility
Lucas Systems Nvidia Old Dominion
ORTEC Parsyl QIMA
Redwood Logistics Saddle Creek Logistics Schneider Dedicated
Setlog Holding AG Ship4WD Shipwell
Tecsys TGW Systems Thomson Reuters
Tive Trailer Bridge Vecna Robotics
Verity
  • More From SCB
    • Featured Content
    • Video Library
    • Think Tank Blog
    • SupplyChainBrain Podcast
    • Whitepapers
    • On-Demand Webinars
    • Upcoming Webinars
  • Digital Offerings
    • Digital Issue
    • Subscribe
    • Manage Your Subscription
    • Newsletters
  • Resources
    • Events Calendar
    • SCB's Great Supply Chain Partners
    • Supplier Directory
    • Case Study Showcase
    • Supply Chain Innovation Awards
    • 100 Great Partners Form
  • SCB Corporate
    • Advertise on SCB.COM
    • About Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
    • Data Sharing Opt-Out

All content copyright ©2022 Keller International Publishing Corp All rights reserved. No reproduction, transmission or display is permitted without the written permissions of Keller International Publishing Corp

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing