The United Kingdom left the European Union on 31st December 2019. Whilst this was a politically important event there was very little impact on the UK’s dealings with the EU due to a year long transition period. That transition period ends on the 31st December 2020 and as yet there is no agreement on a trade treaty to take effect from 1st January 2021. Without a treaty trade between the UK and EU will be on World Trade Organisation (WTO) terms, the so-called no deal or hard Brexit. In this document I will explain the actions Biral has taken to ensure the UK’s exit from the EU will have as little impact as possible on our relationships with EU customers and suppliers.
Biral has exported goods to all parts of the world for many years and has built up a wealth of experience in customs procedures and shipping. We are registered with the necessary Government agencies and have strong relationships with international shipping agents. We are therefore well placed to cope with the UK’s exit from the EU and even a no deal Brexit. We will ship our products to the EU in the same way as we currently do to any non-EU country.
Unfortunately, irrespective of our knowledge and efforts there will be some changes in the way in which we send and receive goods. If you already trade with companies outside of the EU, you will be familiar with these changes and the process will not be difficult. When receiving a shipment from Biral you will be contacted by the shipping agent and asked to provide clearance instructions. It is important that you respond promptly to these requests as goods cannot be released until your instructions are received. Fortunately, the WTO tariffs for all Biral’s products are currently set at 0% so there will be no duty charged when importing our goods.
When you need to return goods for service or repair you will be exporting those goods from the EU. We do ask that you contact Biral before returning any goods for service or repair to ensure we aware of the shipment and can respond promptly to the customs clearance request. To help the process run smoothly goods should always be accompanied by a commercial invoice showing the current value, a clear description, and if possible, the commodity code. If you are unsure of the process, we will be pleased to assist.
Despite the efforts of authorities on both side of the English Channel to put in place new facilities and procedures ahead of 1st January we should expect there to be some shipping delays in the first few weeks of the year. If you able to please factor this into the timing of orders for equipment needed in the new year. Biral will make all reasonable efforts to expedite completion of orders but we will not be able to influence delays due to disruption at the ports.
The CE marking of all Biral products will continue to be valid after 31st December when the UK is no longer in the EU. To ensure there are no extra responsibilities relating to CE marking placed on our EU customers when importing our products Biral has established a company in Ireland, Biral Ireland Limited, to act as our EU importer. In this way Biral retains sole responsibility for CE compliance in the EU. All your correspondence and commercial transactions will remain with Biral in the UK and will not change because of our use of Biral Ireland Limited as EU importer.
I hope the information provided reassures you that Biral has actively engaged with the Brexit process to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible for our customers and suppliers. If there are any matters that you would like to discuss or points you would like clarified, we will be pleased to help. Please email us at enquiries@biral.com or call us on +44 (0)1275 847 787.