Post-Brexit procedures, handling and logistics in Belgian ports

Brexit is a fact. From the 1st of January 2021 onwards, the United Kingdom will no longer be part of the customs union and the internal market of the European Union. Belgium is an important logistic hub in Europe providing freight handling and shipping services for business in various European countries. Belgian sea ports have been preparing for this new situation with regard to the United Kingdom. Have you?

Join this webinar for a presentation on the applicable formalities, logistic procedures and controls you have to take into account at our Belgian sea ports to ensure a smooth flow of your goods to and from the UK from the 1st of January 2021 onwards.

Following an introduction by the Belgian ambassador, officials from the Belgian Customs and Excises Administration, the Agency for Food Safety, the Belgian sea ports and the Agency for Roads and Traffic will give you an overview of what you need to know.

You are welcome to join the webinar. Registration is open until the 7th of December 2020 (midnight)via this link​. You will receive a new mail with a link to the Teams Webinar on the 8th of December. Feel free to forward this invitation to exporters, importers and hauliers among your affiliated members. For technical reasons, we ask you to limit your participation to one or two person(s) per organisation.You can forward preliminary questions on the matter in the registration form. Should you encounter any difficulties with regard to the event, you can contact us at events.DGE@diplobel.fed.be.

Whatever the outcome to the Brexit process, Belgium is an important logistic hub in Europe

providing freight handling and shipping services for business in various European countries.

Belgian authorities and ports are well accustomed to handling requirements and procedures

with regard to third countries outside of the EU and have been preparing for the new situation

with regard to the United Kingdom that will prevail from 1

st

of January 2021 onwards.

In order to allow exporting, importing and transporting companies in different EU Member

States that make use of the Belgian ports for expediting freight to the UK, to do so in the best

possible circumstances, the Belgian Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and

Development Cooperation proposes to hold a webinar of ± 2 hours for industry bodies,

exporting or importing companies, and hauliers from Romania. The aim is to focus on how the

requirements and procedures imposed by the EU will be applied in the Belgian sea ports and

how businesses and hauliers from Romania can best prepare for them.

The webinar would treat the following subjects.

1. Welcome and introduction by the Belgian Ambassador or Brexit Coordinator of the

Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (5 minutes);

2. Presentations by the Belgian Administration of Customs and Excises Department and the

Food Safety Agency on new procedures and controls for transport to the UK from 1

st

of

January 2021 onwards, including on transport from and to Ireland (25 min. presentation

and 15 min. Q&A);

3. Presentations by the port of Zeebrugge and the Port of Antwerp on the handling

sequence of traffic flows undergoing the procedures at the external EU borders and the use

of port community ICT-systems in this context (30 min. presentation and 15 min. Q&A);

4. Presentation by the Flemish Agency for Roads and Traffic on the management of traffic

flows and recommended roads to and from these Belgian sea ports (15 min.

presentation and 10 min. Q&A);

5. Conclusion by the Belgian Ambassador or Brexit Coordinator of the Belgian Ministry of

Foreign Affairs (5 min. presentation and last occasion for Q&A).