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Was thinking about UK-EU post-Brexit customs cooperation earlier today, prepping for a presentation on obstacles to trade facilitation and implementation of FTAs in Africa.
Oddly enough a lot of the same points and challenges remain. Whether it's AfCFTA or the UK-EU deal
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Oddly enough a lot of the same points and challenges remain. Whether it's AfCFTA or the UK-EU deal
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In both cases, when all is said and done and the agreements signed and ratified, trust will be what determines the level of success
Between customs authorities
Between customs authorities and traders
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Between customs authorities Between customs authorities and traders /2
The level of confidence you trading partner's customs authorities have in your traders and your own processes determines how they treat your goods at the border.
In reality that often has less to do with the trade deal and more with the dialogue between the two countries
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In reality that often has less to do with the trade deal and more with the dialogue between the two countries
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Trade deals do very little for border processes and if the trust isn't there, there is very little a "customs cooperation" chapter can salvage.
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In that context, the UK's lack of readiness, chaotic prep for introducing a new border, with all the multiple non-existing IT systems, lack of trader guidance and delays can actually be more damaging for customs cooperation than where we are in the talks at the moment
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Worth remembering that a French customs officer doesn't necessarily care about LPF or the politics of Brexit talks - they care about whether or not they can trust the paperwork coming from the UK, whether or not they can rely on it.
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And they work with our customs authorities and our traders/hauliers on daily basis. They speak to them.
All the frustration I see in the private sector is def also visible to customs authorities in other EU member states.
We can't be the only ones hearing these complaints.
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All the frustration I see in the private sector is def also visible to customs authorities in other EU member states.
We can't be the only ones hearing these complaints.
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If @RHANews is frustrated to the point of writing an open letter - that frustration is surely felt on the other side of the Channel.
What reassurance will EU's customs authorities get before 1 Jan to convince them that we're ready and can be trusted?
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What reassurance will EU's customs authorities get before 1 Jan to convince them that we're ready and can be trusted?
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My guess is none.
So my point is - the way we've been preparing for this change will actually have a significant impact on the level of controls on EU borders from 1 Jan.
And not in a good way.
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So my point is - the way we've been preparing for this change will actually have a significant impact on the level of controls on EU borders from 1 Jan.
And not in a good way.
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If you were a French customs officer on the 2nd of Jan how confident would you be in UK's border processes, systems and people?
/ends
/ends
