There is no doubt that the uncertainty over the Brexit negotiations is having an impact on trade and industry.
And the recent report from the National Audit Office made uncomfortable reading – suggesting that the UK border operation may not be ready for a no-deal Brexit, and even if there is a withdrawal agreement, “significant challenges lie ahead to ensure the UK border is fully functioning”.
And it is disruption at the border that most companies seem to fear. Fashion retailer Next produced an analysis recently explaining how it could deal with almost all the challenges that Brexit would present – but border problems were the big imponderables and could have a significant impact.
The motor industry too has been very clear that disruption of the movement of components could halt production lines very quickly.
But all is not doom and gloom. A survey of 370 freight and logistics companies by the Freight Transport Association in partnership with Santander, found that three quarters of them expect their business to grow over the next three years.
Whether this is despite Brexit, or maybe even because of it, is not been revealed, but it does suggest a degree of resilience that sometimes gets overlooked in the debates on the issue.
What is certain is that as organisations face up to the reality of working in a post-Brexit world, supply chain and logistics expertise is going to come at a premium.
