Navigating Brexit uncertainty together

Ensure your supply chain is prepared for what happens next.

Stay up to date with Brexit from start to finale

Post-Brexit

Following the December 24 agreement, here are the prospective milestones in the Brexit process businesses and logistics partners need to keep in mind:

January 2021

The Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the EU and the UK came into force provisionally on Jan 1, 2021 after all 27 member states approved the Agreement and its provisional application. The UK exited the Customs Union and any EU trade agreements that the UK had managed to roll over came into effect. For countries where a trade deal had not been rolled over, the UK Global Tariff came into effect.

April 2021

The European Parliament approved the Agreement, enabling its full implementation starting May 1, 2021. All products of animal origin (POAO) were required to produce pre-notification and health documentation and physical checks were conducted at the destination. The grace period for initial registrations under REACH for UK companies importing chemicals expired.

June 2021

On 30 June, registrations for the EU Settlement Scheme were closed.

July 2021

On 1 July, Phase 3 of the UK Border Operating Model was rolled into action. Customs declaration has become permanent and full declarations are mandatory at the point of importation. Review of tariffs with additional paperwork and checks are in progress.

January 2022

The UK’s grace period on CE marking will end, meaning that firms must have switched to UKCA compliance by this date (GB products only).

January 2023

While the UK and the EU rules and testing processes will remain broadly the same for regulated goods in the immediate years after no deal, in the future divergence will occur. This will increase the barriers of doing trade across borders. Firms will have to cope with the new and different requirements being introduced unevenly across the UK and the EU.

Pre-Brexit

Our timeline provides you with what has happened so far as the clock finally hit midnight on Brexit.

December 31, 2020

The UK leaves the EU’s Single Market and Customs Union. Both sides move forward with the terms set forth from this date onwards. In the case of a ‘No deal,’ the UK returns to the basic World Trade Organisation terms, meaning tariffs on goods and border checks.

October 15, 2020

The latest EU Leaders’ Summit takes place. While an agreement to extend talks has been reached, it is believed British PM Boris Johnson and the UK government would like clarity on several issues by this date.

June 30, 2020

The deadline for the extension of the transition period passed.

March 2020

The negotiations on trade in goods and other areas begin.

January 31, 2020

The UK officially exits the EU and enters an 11-month transition period.

October 3, 2019

Boris Johnson and President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, approve a further month of negotiations after agreeing enough progress has been made to justify the last push to reach a deal on trade and security.

September 24, 2019

The government updates that lorry drivers will need a permit to enter Kent after Brexit's transition period.

September 23, 2019

News breaks that exporters to the EU face 7,000-truck-long queues in Kent – the English county through which all channel tunnel traffic must move. Additionally, there are two-day delays to trade after the Brexit transition period ends.

September 19, 2019

The MPs pass a Brexit bill to fill the vacuum created by the end of the unified Brussels standards laws and standards. The bill sets out mutual recognition rules to keep business seamless.