The heading above pretty much sums up the situation and expectations of upcoming Brexit events. If there was one word to describe how the industry feels after ‘52% to 48%’ day, that would be uncertainty. Bad thing is that uncertainty leads to fear, and fear (in the business sense of the word) leads to stagnation and eventually recession. Hopefully these are just negative scenarios listed in some old big textbook of economics. Along with some other segments of the British economy, it is expected for international removal companies based in UK to be hit the hardest by the planned 2017 Brexit exercise. Swinging back to uncertainty, this little word which holds so much meaning in scenario such as this one, is unfortunately expected to be the Brexit mantra. Uncertainty and business fear can spread quickly throughout the economy – it’s all been seen before. Uncertainty or no uncertainty, who really cares if international removal companies bear the brunt of Brexit? Well, for starters everyone else they deal with– so now the picture changes, dramatically, doesn’t it.
So what is expected to happen, can we do something about it?
Well, it’s a little too late to do anything about the Brexit itself as the thing is done and dusted. What’s left now is to shelter from the storm, somehow. In terms of expectations, and these are not just pub guestimations over a pint, but actual predictions based on industry trends and economic analysis, what will most likely happen is:
- Higher tariffs on international removals will be imposed – up until the Brexit UK had a tariff-free trade agreement with the EU, now that is no more. So expect international relocation solutions (to and from UK) to grow more expensive and less affordable. What’s the big deal? Not much really, just that UK based international movers will be totally uncompetitive on the continental market (mind you, that’s a huge market on which these companies rely heavily).
- Restriction of free people and cargo movement – one of the biggest benefits of being in the EU is free movement of people and goods. Now with the Brexit thing in full swing, forget about that. Moving people and goods will be subject to endless restrictions and conditions. In practical terms a lorry full of your stuff, travelling from Brighton to Amsterdam will spend hours if not days on end in transit, stuck in customs and documentary limbos on this or that border. Nice one!
- UK based international movers will be rendered uncompetitive for people moving from the continent to Britain. Since UK international movers will charge a pretty penny for their services and will take age and a half to get your stuff across borders and customs, then why bother! People will simply book a foreign based mover who offers them a better price and faster service. Customer base for UK based international movers will gradually decline, the ‘void’ will be filled with more competitive entities which aren’t subject to Brexits or other such socioeconomic experiments of dubious outcome.