Dutch-Belgian North Sea Port is monitoring closely developments related to Brexit “in order to anticipate how the situation will evolve and refer businesses to the proper channels”.
After the UK Parliament rejected the Brexit deal on January 15, it is unclear what the consequences will be.
“Whether it comes to a Brexit deal or a hard Brexit, North Sea Port has been consulting with the companies who do business with the United Kingdom for quite some time,” the port said.
“In light of potential issues, preparations are being taken and information exchanged regarding stockpiling, customs formalities, financial repercussions and the impact on IT.”
North Sea Port further said it cooperates closely with the relevant authorities and governments in the Netherlands and Flanders.
The United Kingdom is the second-largest trading partner of North Sea Port, accounting for some 9% of the total 70.3 million tons of maritime transshipment. This involves goods such as vehicles, containers, construction materials, chemical products, fertilisers and energy and petroleum products.
Recently, North Sea Port was also approached by several ferry companies which wanted to start new ferry services from this port. As explained, this could be one of the opportunities from Brexit for the port.