Brexit update – Governments on both sides of the channel are gearing up for a no-deal Brexit

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Last Sunday, 18 August 2019, a UK Government report under the code name “Operation Yellowhammer” was leaked. The report describes the consequences Britain will most likely face if the UK leaves the EU without a deal. Some of the revelations were:

  • heavy goods vehicles crossing the UK border could face a maximum delay of 1.5 to 2.5 days;
  • disruptions at ports may last up to 3 months before the flow of traffic “improves” to 50%-70% of the current rate;
  • a hard border with Northern-Ireland risks being reinstated;
  • immigration checks at border posts would be stepped up.

Meanwhile, the UK Government has said it will grant a UK EORI number to all UK firms that have not yet signed up to the customs system.

Furthermore, last week, also the Belgian Customs authorities released a no-deal Brexit report that clearly describes the customs consequences of a no-deal Brexit (Link). Clearly, on both sides of the channel, everybody seems to take the position that a no-deal Brexit becomes inevitable as the clock ticks down to the October 31 deadline.

Over the last couple of days, Boris Johnson made his first overseas trip as PM to have Brexit talks with Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron. Despite the meetings held, again, there was little sign of a breakthrough.

Considering the above and in anticipation of a no-deal Brexit, your business should at least have a view on its potential impact.

Join us for our PwC Brexit webinar on Tuesday, 27 August 2019, 16:00 – 17:00 CET. Our multidisciplinary PwC team of tax and legal specialists from Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK will provide a general Brexit status update, in addition to sharing professional and practical insights. Our team uses a proven hands-on approach to provide a pragmatic overview of the magnitude of the impact of a no-deal scenario, taking both the EU and the UK perspectives into account.

After the presentation, we’ll answer all your questions in an interactive Q&A session.

Register here.

We’re looking forward to having you join this session!

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