“The work has changed completely, with much more administration,” says director Lucien Stötefalk in response to the question as to how Brexit has impacted Smeets Ferry. “Without the correct preparations, you can no longer enter the terminal in the Netherlands and you cannot depart the terminal in the United Kingdom. Ferry transport has become a completely different game.” Smeets Ferry has hired two – three extra people for all that administration. “In this way, we ensure that our planners can continue to properly perform their planning activities.”

Speed ​​is of the essence in ferry transport. In any case, the turnover rate has decreased due to Brexit, notes Stötefalk. Smeets Ferry is compensating for this through the purchase of a hundred extra trailers, partially also to accommodate growth. “Furthermore, we have critically assessed which cargo we do and do not want to transport. We have completely stopped with groupage. The risk of delays is simply too great.”

Good information essential

Smeets Ferry does not handle customs clearance or pre-notifications via Portbase at the terminals. The company leaves that up to the customers themselves. “However, it is very important to us that the customer provides that information correctly. Customs requires that the cargo be described in a specific manner (packaging, number of packages, weight). Not doing so might result in problems, especially when importing into the Netherlands. If the data in the manifest and the import declaration do not correspond, a mismatch arises which means a lot of administrative hassle afterwards. Shortly after Brexit, this was a major issue; now, we have a minimal number of mismatches.”

“In view of the current shortage of drivers, we cannot afford for a truck and trailer to unnecessarily stand still,” continues Stötefalk. “Therefore, customers know that if they fail to provide the correct documents in a timely manner, we will uncouple the trailer and pass on the costs to them. If we notice no improvement with such a customer after a while, we part ways. Fortunately though, these are exceptions.”

Automation helps

Due to Brexit, Smeets Ferry has also continued to further automate. “Our planning board system now automatically shows when everything for a trailer has been green-lighted and it is permitted to enter or leave the terminal. Previously, we had to continuously log in to Portbase for this information and, on the British side, to Destin8. That used to take one employee 5-6 hours every day, but now this is performed automatically.”

Rapid transport via Rotterdam

All transports of Smeets Ferry to the United Kingdom run via the port of Rotterdam. Stötefalk was part of the Get Ready for Brexit project team, in which all the links in the chain joined forces in preparation for Brexit to ensure continued rapid transport via the Dutch ports. “I think that the manner in which we collaborated as the Dutch business community was quite unique.” That is not to say that everything always goes without a hitch though. “GVMS/GMR sometimes cause problems on the British side, the customer enters an incorrect or incomplete number, there is a malfunction at Customs… those situations are always tricky to solve. We need our extra people for that as well.”

By opting for Rotterdam, Smeets Ferry is spared recent problems such as those on the Dover – Calais route. “The main challenge is terminal capacity. Trailers should not unnecessarily stand still there. Otherwise, things will grind to a halt. We have emphatically encouraged the terminal to pass on costs for this, so that the customer starts moving.”

Difficult first months

Looking back, Stötefalk concludes that the first months after Brexit were difficult, but that the situation has now significantly improved. “The volumes transported were considerably lower in the initial period. Customs clearance also caused delays. After years of preparation, still not all parties were prepared yet. Thanks to the measures we have taken, we quickly managed to get thinks back on track at Smeets Ferry. With the hundred additional trailers, the total comes to 500 and we want to achieve further growth.”

Cabinet office – The remaining import controls on EU goods will no longer be introduced this year, the government has announced today. Instead, traders will continue to move their goods from the European Union to Great Britain as they do now. Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, and the recent rise in global energy costs, have had a significant effect on supply chains that are still recovering from the pandemic. The government has therefore concluded that it would be wrong to impose new administrative requirements on businesses who may pass-on the associated costs to consumers already facing pressures on their finances. The change in approach is expected to save British importers at least £1 billion in annual costs.

Read the full article in the press release of the Cabinet office.

Gov.uk – The UK Government has today announced a customs easement to make moving aid and donations to the people of Ukraine easier. The simplification of customs processes will apply to goods intended to support those affected by the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine which are exported from GB. Provided the goods are not exported to, or through, Russia or Belarus, then these simplified processes apply to qualifying goods regardless of the destination to allow maximum flexibility to get aid to where the need is greatest.

The Government still recommends that organisations and people who would like to help donate cash through trusted charities and aid organisations, rather than donating goods. Cash can be transferred quickly to areas where it’s needed and individuals and aid organisations can use it to buy what’s most needed.

However, businesses, charities and community organisations sending aid from GB ports will be able to make a customs declaration by speaking to customs officers or simply by the act of driving through a port.

They will no longer need to complete and submit electronic customs declarations to HMRC before exporting these goods, and smaller movements will not need to use the Goods Vehicle Movement Service to pass through ports where it is in operation.

The easement will also remove other customs formalities, such as needing to notify HMRC when the goods have been exported.  The easement, which excludes all controlled goods and dual use goods, will be in place for a limited time, which will be announced in due course.

A press notice outlining the change can be found here https://www.mynewsdesk.com/uk/hm-revenue-customs-hmrc/pressreleases/customs-easement-to-help-ukraine-aid-exports-3167909

Further guidance is available here: Taking humanitarian aid out of Great Britain to support Ukraine – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The remainder of this email explains the process and how you as carriers will help these movements.

Moving goods in baggage using a small vehicle
Small vehicles that can carry up to a maximum of 9 people and weighs 3.5 tonnes or less. If your customers are moving goods in their own baggage or in a small vehicle, they will be permitted to move humanitarian goods under passenger movements.

Under this approach, goods will be declared in one of two ways.

1. Making an oral declaration: If there are facilities available, through speaking to a Border Force Officer at the ‘goods to declare’ channel or the red point phone in the customs area at the port or airport
2. Making a declaration by conduct: If there are no facilities available to make an oral declaration, declaration by conduct can be made at the port by either:
3. walking through a customs control point (this can be a green channel signed ‘nothing to declare’) with the goods;
4. driving (or being driven) past a customs control point with the goods inside the vehicle,
5. continuing onward journey, if there are no customs control points.

Customs documentation will not be required.

 Moving goods as freight in a larger vehicle  
A large vehicle is a vehicle that can carry more than 9 people and weighs more than 3.5 tonnes (e.g. a Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV)).  For these movements, export goods should be listed as ‘humanitarian aid’ on your booking systems where possible.

Border locations using the Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS)
Goods moving via a location using the Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS) will continue to need a GMR, the process for customers follows:

1. Have an EORI number starting with GB.
2. Be registered for the Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS).
3. Get a ‘declaration by conduct’ Goods Movement Reference (GMR) through GVMS by selecting the ‘oral or by conduct declarations’ option.
4. At the port of export, present your GMR for check-in in order to board.

Border locations using Temporary Storage with Inventory Linking
Public guidance advises customers to check with the relevant carrier / port of steps to take to follow ahead of moving their goods. If a vehicle needs to move as freight through a temporary storage location, Carriers will need to manifest the goods using either

• T2 for locations using CNS, or
• ETC 01 for locations using Destin8.