Ready for a new start
HOW SCOTTISH FIRMS ARE PREPARING FOR A NEW EU FUTURE AS THE COUNTDOWN TO THE END OF THE TRANSITION PERIOD IS UNDERWAY
SCOTLAND’S import and export of goods and services to and from the EU is worth more than £55billion a year*, so it’s no surprise that local firms are already putting plans in place to prepare for the UK’s new future in Europe.
Now is the time to make sure the transition goes smoothly as the UK builds a new relationship with the EU.
As the UK has now left the EU and the transition period ends on 31 December, companies are preparing to make sure they’re ready for changes in import, export and travel.
Erica Moore, founder of speciality tea company Eteaket, is just one of the company owners looking to the future by preparing and spotting new opportunities. Her online sales boomed during the Covid19 pandemic and the growth is continuing.
“We export all over the world and through our online sales it’s really far reaching. We have a lot of customers in America and quite a lot in Europe as well, particularly France and Germany,” says Erica.
“It’s all about looking for new opportunities – our overseas internet orders have really grown recently. We’re working on getting all the right customs codes so we can get things cleared without any problem. We work with a fulfilment company who’ve been very helpful supporting us.”
Planning ahead is key for Erica. “I’ve just finished a big financial project, building out our forecasts for the business. We did receive some funding, which has been really helpful. It helped me to order more stock and I’ve also planned out which areas of the business I can focus on growing.”
If you run a business, it’s important that you check what you need to do over the next few months by visiting the gov.uk/transition website. There are some guaranteed actions you’ll need to take regardless of negotiations and there’s a checklist to help you prepare.
For example, the process for importing and exporting goods between Great Britain and the EU will change and you’ll find more information online, as well as guidance on travelling to the EU and staying in the UK if you’re an EU citizen.
The UK Government recognises that it has been a tough time for businesses coping with the challenges from the Covid-19 pandemic, so it has put a range of support measures in place, including introducing new border controls in stages up until July 1, 2021 and more than £80million to boost the capacity of the customs intermediary sector. In July it announced a £705million funding package for border infrastructure, staffing and IT, to ensure border systems are fully operational when the UK takes back control of its border after the end of the transition period.