Open the door to the future
WELSH BUSINESSES ARE URGED TO GET READY FOR POSTTRANSITION TRADING
on December 31 it will also leave the single market and customs union, so time is running out for Welsh businesses to ensure they’re fully prepared. The Welsh export industry is worth £17.7billion with exports to the
EU making up over 60 per cent of that total*. Therefore it’s vital that Welsh businesses are up to date with the changes they need to make. For instance, rules around export will change, including customs declarations and labelling of products. To find out what changes your business needs to make, visit gov.uk/transition for specific advice.
Stuart Lawrence is managing director of Rhino Doors.
His company, which employs 39 people, manufactures high-performance doors – the type used in national security, defence and the energy industry – from its base in Port Talbot. Historically Rhino’s main turnover came from UK Government contracts, but one of Stuart’s tasks since taking over as MD four years ago has been to broaden its customer base.
“I was tasked with transforming the business from a niche supplier of UK-focused security doors, to a business with a broader range of special- tional market sectors – and especially to export markets.”
Stuart’s plan is bearing fruit, with Rhino enjoying success in its exports over the past financial year. “Luckily we already had an EORI number as we import from Switzerland, but it’s something I’d urge all Welsh businesses to make sure they’ve sorted out,” says Stuart. An EORI ( Economic Operator Registration and Identification) number, is a unique ID code that’s used to track and register customs information in the EU. It takes about a week from application to receive. But there was one aspect that Stuart and his team had not yet worked on. “One area we hadn’t considered, which the gov.uk/transition site flagged up, relates to our IP rights and protecting our designs by correctly disclosing information post-transition. This is something we will need to address,” he says. Negotiations between the UK and are ongoing, but you still need to take action now to make sure your business is ready for the end of the transition period on December 31.
“I’d urge all Welsh businesses to make sure they’ve sorted out an EORI number”
StuartLawrence,managing director,RhinoDoors