2 | MARCH 2019
News
Read online at www.proinstaller.co.uk
“BE PREPARED” GGF SENDS
MESSAGE OVER POTENTIAL
NO DEAL BREXIT
Having represented the industry at a recent Government
meeting on a potential no deal Brexit, Kevin Buckley, GGF
Group Chief Executive has issued a reflective statement
with advice to all companies in the industry, should the UK
leave the EU on 31 March, with no withdrawal agreement.
Although a no deal Brexit is
supposed to be a low probabil-
ity (with the worst case being a
backstop), there seems to be no
end to the frantic coverage on
that very scenario becoming a
reality.
A few weeks ago at the Con-
struction Leaders Council Forum
regarding the possibility of a no
deal Brexit, it is worth sharing
some potential implications
should a no deal Brexit be the
eventual outcome.
Key points:
Industry standards
These will continue “as-is” EU
standards may be rebranded
as UK standards. However, the
reverse is not true. After a no-deal
Brexit, anyone putting prod-
ucts on the market that have to
comply with CPR ongoing testing
and will have to undertake any
retesting with an EU accredited
body (not in the UK).
Importing and VAT Immigration
If you import from the EU, you
will have to pay VAT at the point
of entry to get access to your
goods. There is a HMRC guide-
lines document about this which
you can find here: https://www.
gov.uk/government/publications/
partnership-pack-preparing-for-a-
no-deal-eu-exit
Port processes will be more
complicated – so prepare for
delays to your imports and ex-
ports.
From day one of a potential no
deal Brexit, imports and exports
will be regulated by existing
World Trade Organisation (WTO)
agreements – it is advisable to
be ready for this in advance! In
the case of a no-deal Brexit, it is
highly unlikely there will be any
alternative import deals that are
more favourable to the UK.
If you export, be aware that
each country in the EU general-
ly has slightly different import
regimes. It is advisable to be
prepared for different importing
rules for different countries in the
event of a no deal Brexit. A recent white paper on immi-
gration could affect your business
should there be a no deal Brexit.
The criteria of this white paper
appear to be;
• If an immigrant has been here
5yrs+ then he/she is eligible
to stay, work, receive benefits
and pension rights
• A skilled or semi-skilled
immigrant employee will be
allowed to continue working
in the UK providing they have
an employer who will act as a
sponsor. (This could be sub-
ject to a salary threshold)
• There will be no limit to the
number of workers in this
category
• An unskilled immigrant em-
ployee, you can work here
for a maximum of 12 months,
with a 12 month cooling-off
period between visits
• Immigrant would be unlikely
to access the benefits system
Please note all of the above may
change as this is only a white
paper at present.
Above all, the message from
Government and from the GGF
is; be prepared. There can be no
doubt that things could become
somewhat chaotic on day one and
for some months afterwards in the
event of a no-deal Brexit on 31
March 2019. Though many believe
that eventually EU/UK business
drivers will come into play.
https://www.ggf.org.uk/ggf-
members-first-brexit-news/
is advisable
‘ to It be
prepared
for different
importing rules
for different
countries in the
event of a no
deal Brexit
’
Issue 72 | March 2019
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