Brexit: Businesses urged to make use of online resources to get ready for 1 January

As post-transition trade talks between the UK and the EU hung in the balance, businesses are being urged to make use of the online resources to prepare for the new trade regime from 1 January.

Jacob Thundil, founder and director of Cocofina which exports and retails coconut-based products, said most of what one needs to prepare for the end of the transition period can be found online.

“Every business is different, but you can construct a long list of items from online research”, Thundil said, adding that much of the information can be found on GOV.UK.

“At Cocofina, we used GOV.UK to understand the process for imports and exports to the EU, and to find out about tariffs on World Trade Organization (WTO) terms for all our products. We also got the right information about labelling changes for exporting organic food, and to understand the impact this process will have on our trademarks and patents.”

Thundil has recently started a new venture in Soyzë, a food business using Scottish seaweed instead of soya.

He added that Cocofina’s advisor at the Department for International Trade has played a crucial role in guiding preparations for the business, alongside the information supplied by chambers of commerce websites and support on GOV.UK.

Cocofina’s preparations included getting labelling ready to comply with EU regulation; working closely with the Soil Association to understand changes to any certifications required to meet new standards; checking customers have an EORI number and are comfortable to handle the importation process and finalising paperwork and processes for importers and customs declarations.

“Some processes are surprisingly easy; others require much more reading. The important thing is to get started now so you are in a good place to know what you are going to do at the end of the year,” Thundil said.

The UK left the EU in January, but the sides are trying to clinch a deal that would govern nearly 1 trillion dollars in annual trade before the status quo transitional arrangements end on 31 December.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will review the situation on Monday (7 December) evening.

Meanwhile, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said it continues to update gov.uk/transition with vital information to help companies understand the important actions they need to take to be ready for the start of 2021.

Support includes pre-recorded webinars taking businesses through the changes related to them.