Trade based on WTO rules.
It begins on 1st of January 2021
As our customers you will be aware, the UK officially left the EU on the 31st January 2020 and entered into a transition period during which we will continue to abide by the rules of the EU whilst negotiating a new trade agreement with our largest trading partner.
This transition period ends on the 31st of December 2020 and the UK Government have confirmed that there will be no extension to this, despite the current COVID-19 pandemic situation.
If a new deal cannot be agreed by the end of 2020, then from the 1st of January 2021, the UK and EU will revert to trading on WTO rules and the UK will essentially be a third party country to the EU, as is the US and China for example. If this ‘NO DEAL’ arrangement does come to fruition, then any goods arriving from the EU or leaving for the EU, will be subject to the normal customs processes already in place for our other third party trading partners.
The UK Government have recently confirmed that the move to WTO rules and the imposing of import checks on goods from the EU, will be phased in during 2021 rather than full implementation from the 1st of January 2021. This will help UK businesses deal with the additional work involved with importing of goods, as well as ease delays at UK ports for a period.