[020121.EN.BIZ] Port of Le Havre Braces For Brexit With Forms And Functionaires

 

THE main French gateway port, Le Havre, is bracing itself for a post-Brexit world in which much is feared but little is known about how France will deal with a truly foreign and independent United Kingdom (next week).

"The possibility of a hard Brexit cannot be ruled out at this stage and it is therefore necessary to put goods checks in place at the border, said the press release from Port of Le Havre, which trades under the name of HAROPA, its union with Rouen and Paris.

Taken together, all the measures implemented by the Port of Le Havre in preparation for Brexit total EUR1.75 million (US$2.1 million), said the port authority.

This will mean a return of customs checks on goods, an obligation to carry out veterinary, sanitary and phytosanitary inspections of goods of plant or animal origin, a probable strengthening of immigration controls on travellers (French border police - PAF, Police aux Frontieres).

Said Le Havre port CEO Baptiste Maurand: "Our priority at Le Havre port has been to put everything in place, in conjunction with our partners, to ensure that goods throughput continues to be fluid, especially for imports, seeking to ensure that inspection times are short so that congestion can be avoided at the terminal."

The port began to prepare its response to the challenges of Brexit in 2018 by ensuring coordination between the Le Havre port complex and the Normandy ports, developing essential infrastructure (offices and checkpoints), preparing for the processing of documentary and physical flows, said the release.

The project has been structured around two core programmes for seamless goods flows: organisation of documentary flows based on the advance customs clearance system (clearance during the crossing rather than on arrival at the terminal).

Source : HKSG / Photo : Cruisin.