Brexit woes continue for bike transport firms as tariffs soar
British businesses in limbo as holiday season approaches
‘The Minister’s answer is simply not good enough’ TRACY BRABIN MP
British businesses that transport road-going bikes to Europe for ‘fly ride’ holidays may be scuppered now we have left the EU, unless there’s an intervention by the Government.
Prior to the UK’s exit from the EU, moving bikes to and from the continent was a simple affair. However, due to the intricacies of the current Free Trade Agreement with the EU, privately owned motorcycles are now considered as ‘freight’ and are subject to the same customs controls and VAT regulations that are applied to the export and import of commercial goods. The way to get around this is with a carnet, which is an official document that proves you will not sell your vehicle when you enter a country.
There are two types of carnet in common use: ATA carnets for goods and CPD carnets for vehicles. However, fly ride operators fall through the cracks because road-going vehicles are on the exceptions list for ATA carnets and CPD carnets are not accepted by the EU. One such business that fears for their ability to continue is Eurobikestrans, who prior to Brexit regularly transported bikes to the EU for owners who want to go touring without the slog.
“UK vehicle owners, whether they are car drivers or motorcyclists, are allowed to visit the EU for up to 90 days per year, travelling between the UK and EU, without any new restrictions or demands for customs clearance or VAT,” says Eurobiketrans owner Tony Barker. “What we need from our Government is to agree with the EU is that the vehicle owners have these same rights to move their privately owned, tax paid vehicles to and from the continent using the service of a third party transport company.”
In an attempt to fix the issue, Barker spoke to his MP, Tracy Brabin, hopeful she could get to the bottom of the issue. After speaking, the Labour member raised the issue in a written question to the Government, receiving a terse reply from Jesse Norman, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, that this “is a matter for the EU”. Speaking after this response Brabin said: “The Minister’s answer is simply not good enough. We have innovative businesses who trade across the EU here in West Yorkshire, and if small businesses like Tony’s are going to be priced out of operating due to the UK Government’s reluctance to back British business, then we are unfortunately going to see many of these businesses disappear.
“I know how important it is for so many enthusiasts to be able to take their bikes on holiday without worrying about riding thousands of miles to their destination and back, and the service Tony provides to so many across the country is invaluable, and one which would be sorely missed if he has to stop trading due to Government failure.”