The FTA has welcomed the "clarity and direction" that the General Election result has provided to businesses planning for Brexit.
However, it has warned that without the passing of the Withdrawal Agreement through parliament, there is still the risk of a no-deal departure from the EU on 31 January 2020, which it claimed "could bring chaos to the supply chain and the industry which relies on it".
Speaking after news that Boris Johnson's Conservative Party has gained a parliamentary majority allowing him to push Brexit through next month, Pauline Bastidon, the FTA’s head of European policy said: “Big questions about our future trading arrangements with Europe are yet to be answered, and must be an urgent priority for negotiations if UK PLC is to continue trading effectively.
“Despite repeated requests of the previous government, FTA still has not received responses on a number of key areas which currently enable the smooth passage of goods and services across the UK’s borders.
"While the transition period has already been reduced to less than a year, it is vital that the logistics industry understands the new rules and procedures it will need to implement after Brexit, and critically, has time to plan and adapt. We must not reach another cliff edge at the end of the transition period where key trading arrangements are simply not known.
“Our industry needs, and deserves, to be given clarity on the issues that matter, and sufficient time to adjust to alternative arrangements – ideally months, rather than days. Logistics should not be set up to fail through lack of early planning for the needs of a sector which affects every facet of our daily lives.”
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The FTA said three issues are still concerning businesses across the sector: the final confirmation of the arrangements for imports and exports between the UK and Europe; agreement on the situation on the Irish border, including the potential for checks and where and how these are to be made; and the ongoing situation regarding the employment of EU nationals.
Bastidon went on to insist that with more than 53,000 lorry driver vacancies already in the UK, and more in warehousing, van driving and other key roles across the sector, the loss of the 343,000 EU nationals working in British logistics firms could see vehicle movements and the supply chain as a whole "come to a standstill".
“No one wants to see long border delays for goods and services which could cause critical problems in the supply chain for perishable items, critical medicines and other time sensitive goods," she said.
"But this is exactly what will happen if the industry does not get time to plan for the introduction of new rules and procedures. Much of the UK’s manufacturing industry relies on deliveries arriving from the EU in a very limited window of time, so it is imperative that nothing hinders the movement of these vehicles if catastrophic knock-on effects are not to be felt throughout the country’s industry.
“This is not Project Fear, but Project Fact and something which FTA has been pressing for clarity on since Article 50 was triggered, almost three years ago. What our members need is for the new government to make good on its promises, and provide industry with the tools it needs to protect the supply chain and keep Britain trading smoothly, without additional cost or delays.
"As an industry we are agile and ready to help make Brexit work, but to expect us to do so at the last minute, risks rushed implementation and potential problems.
"FTA stands ready to assist the government in any appropriate capacity to ensure that Britain keeps trading following Brexit. Failing to plan is just as bad as planning to fail – we must avoid leaving important decisions to the last minute with no time for implementation.”
