Agency Sector Management’s (ASM) Sequoia Customs clearance platform is helping Simarco Worldwide Logistics prepare for plans by the UK Government to introduce Customs declarations on freight moving between Northern Ireland (NI) and Great Britain (GB).
“ASM’s Sequoia software has been Simarco’s preferred platform of choice for many years, we utilise it for our global imports and exports and this will be extended to operate our Customs clearances once we leave the EU,” said Trevor Scott, Managing Director, Simarco Worldwide Logistics.
In response to an ASM survey of users, around 170 enterprises said that they move freight on the NI/GB trade lane.
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Many in the industry have expressed the view that the new measures outlined will have a negative impact on trade and Scott said that the changes might well damage business.
“Our business model along with our partner in NI and customer base is founded on the concept of late collections in GB for next day deliveries into NI,” said Scott.
“This requires a seamless journey which will be seriously impacted with the requirement for Customs declarations.
“There is a feeling of betrayal in the freight community that these new procedures are being introduced after early assurances they would not be required.”
Scott said ASM has played a key role in helping the forwarder in an advisory capacity and providing evidence-based knowledge to enable Simarco to shape what the business needs to prepare for, when the UK’s transition period with the EU ends on 1st January 2021.
ASM Chairman, Peter MacSwiney, said: “There is much concern among our freight forwarder users who trade across the Irish Sea, and we are working with them to help prepare for the changes that will come into effect and to ensure business continuity.”
He said he is also concerned that a lot of the systems and infrastructures proposed for trading between NI and GB does not exist yet, and 1st January 2021 is only five months away.
“We are actively pushing for clarity and answers to outstanding queries and issues that we have already raised with HMRC on behalf of our customers,” said MacSwiney. ASM’s Sequoia Customs clearance software is used by forwarders across the UK supply chain and is a complete freight management platform that is constantly updated to meet new trading processes.
