A major contract awarded to Deloitte and IBM to create a Single Trade Window to help remove post-Brexit border trading delays has been shelved by the UK government, raising “deep concerns” among Logistics UK members.
The Single Trade Window (STW) has already faced major delays. In October 2024 the Labour government announced the project had been paused, until “at least 2026”, due to concerns about cost, which were estimated to be running at £110m.
Now it appears to have ground to a halt. According to a recent Freedom of Information request, submitted by the think tank TaxWatch, no new money has been spent on STW since January this year, no HMRC staff are assigned to the project and the contract for delivery with IBM and Deloitte “has been closed”.
The aim of the STW was to simplify post-Brexit border processes by creating a single digital platform in which importers and exporters could upload all documentation linked to goods before they are transported.
This would end the current need for companies to upload and submit documents to a number of different departments and agencies before importing and exporting goods, a system which has been slammed for duplication and delays. Yet nearly ten years on from the Brexit referendum the scheme is nowhere in sight.
The government insisted this week it is still wedded to launching a single trade window. A government spokesperson said: “We remain committed to delivering a single trade window, recognising its potential benefits to trade, as set out in the trade strategy published in June last year.
“Policy development is ongoing and focused on designing a service that delivers genuine value to businesses and strengthens the UK’s border system.”
However TaxWatch director, Mike Lewis, dismissed the government’s claims. He told MT: “ They keep saying that, but it does not mean anything if there is no spending on it, no start date and absolutely no indication oif when it is coming.
He called for the government to come clean. “Our point is that when something goes wrong with a major project like this we need to know what has gone wrong so that lessons can be learnt from it.”
James Mills, Logistics UK head of trade policy, said: “These reports are deeply concerning. If true, they will be a blow for our members and there must be a credible alternative.
“Growing uncertainty makes it harder for businesses to plan and invest. The UK has fallen from 4th to 19th in the World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index, and exporters continue to face unnecessary duplication and cost at the border.
“The Single Trade Window is not just about cutting red tape, it is also about growth and living standards. Previous government modelling suggested that a new post-Brexit border system, including efficiencies linked to a Single Trade Window, was expected to reduce costs for traders by around half a billion pounds a year.
“If the government wants to boost employment and raise living standards, cutting border friction must be at the heart of a trade-led growth strategy and is one of the quickest wins available.”
Ilona Kawka, Chartered Institute of Export & International Trade imports advisory practice chief, said: “Successful implementation of a single trade window can bring many benefits to the trading community, as well as to the government, and its adoption is one of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement provisions.
“It is important that the creation of a centralised system is developed with all the border’s key stakeholders in mind, to facilitate their operations, improve reporting and oversight, enable interoperability and unlock end-to-end supply chain digitalisation through global data standards.”
