Customs agency’s new staff to support Brexit

City-based firm recruits 17 more workers ready for end of transition

WITH 90 days to go before the Brexit transition period ends, Portsmouth-based customs agency, Portico, has expanded its team to help the estimated 145,000 businesses who’ll need to complete customs paperwork.

From agriculture products to parts for x-ray machines, anyone importing and exporting goods to and from the EU will need to complete full customs declarations, regardless of whether a UK-EU trade deal is agreed.

For many businesses it will be the first time they have had to complete such paperwork.

To support the process, Portico customs has recruited 17 additional staff to handle some of the additional 400m customs declarations which are expected from UK businesses.

Daphne Comber, Portico customs agency manager, commented: ‘ We’re committed to supporting efficient UK trade.

‘With changes to the imports and exports to and from the EU, this could mean businesses might have to face dealing with custom declarations for the first time.

‘It can be a daunting and complicated process.

‘Fortunately we handle thousands of customs declarations and have the right systems to talk to Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to make sure goods reach their destinations without delay.

‘We know how important it is that goods reach manufacturing plants or supermarket shelves quickly.

‘Companies import and export such a variety of products from the EU that we all use one way or another in our daily lives, so we’ll make sure there aren’t any hold-ups.’

Changes to imports and exports will take place over six months from January 1 to give businesses time to adjust.