In all honesty, I’d like the Gov’s new shock and awe Brexit business readiness campaign to start in the following way:

“To all businesses, big and small,

/1

As of 1 Jan 2021, you will bear the full responsibility for your goods moving across the new border the UK erected with its main trading partner.

You will also be required to deal with the new barriers to trade with 3rd countries that result from us leaving the EU.

/2

This means all areas of international trade: customs, trade finance, meeting regulatory and testing requirements etc – it’s all on you now.

You will bear the additional costs as well as the legal liability.

Here is what we can do to help you navigate this…”

/3

That really is the only honest and upfront way to go about it. Also, unfortunately, this will still be shocking for some businesses.

And no, this is not an exaggeration and has very little to do with Brexit politics.

/4

It’s just the reality of international trade – whether you’re a business in a developing country, Japan or the UK, it’s up to you to deal with all the complexities resulting from moving goods across international customs and regulatory borders.

/5

I appreciate the Gov is reluctant to phrase it in this way - it doesn't have that over-ready feel to it - but

1) that's the reality of the situation and

2) that's what businesses need to hear.

/6

It's a horrible position for businesses to be in, especially since so many of them are struggling just to survive right now, but it is also the logical consequence of Brexit.

/7

As @BEERG put it - you need permission to cross borders.

/8 https://twitter.com/BEERG/status/1276588128506126338

Paradoxically, I think it would be helpful for businesses to realise that they really are on their own with this.

That it is up to them whether they will be able to continue to trade with the EU after Jan or not.

/9

The current messaging - vague, contradictory and full of empty promises - may end up giving businesses a false sense of security when they only have a couple of months left to prepare for what's going to be a systemic shock.

/10

Yes, the timing couldn't possibly be worse but this is where we are and businesses, particularly SMEs, if they are to have any chance of survival, also need to understand the urgency and importance of this work and the time they have left.

/11

The Gov's role will be:

to provide information and transparency (crucial)

to prepare borders including systems, infrastructure, processes and procedures (crucial and behind schedule)

/12

to continue to provide funding and support to develop the customs and freight forwarding sector

to continuously work to provide simplifications, cuts and support where possible - domestically as well as through future negotiations.

But that's really about it.

/13

At the end of the day, the responsibility always, always with the trader and there is a limit to what the Gov can and will do.

/ends