Everyone will have no doubt read about the debacle surrounding the new customs requirements following our eventual departure from the EU at the turn of the year. Confusion, misunderstanding, lack of knowledge, software hiccups, not to mention the fact that many Customs locations not really knowing what they have to do either; all of which are contributing to what can only be [politely] described as – a ‘difficult‘ situation.
And it doesn’t help when all other EU countries are in similar states of confusion. Many of the reports we have been hearing from fellow forwarders are the same, and in fact some have even had to temporarily suspend taking on new bookings until the backlog of documentation anomalies have been corrected. We are battling on, but it remains difficult and protracted.
It never rains but it snows? We have just this morning received a report from our partners in Madrid – exact transcript as follows:
“We have a critical snow situation more than 30-50cm snow in Madrid, and all routes in Madrid are collapse. All trucks are blocks and can not drive, also the trains, bus and private cars can not drive.
Perhaps they can build some snowmen while they wait? After all, even without their snow, whilst all of this confusion and mismanagement of new procedures remain, they might as well fill in the time waiting for their merchandise! No such thing as shipping ‘just in time’ any more.