Brexit: Thomas Swan urges businesses to get ready for 1 January

CHEMICALS manufacturer Thomas Swan is urging businesses to act now to be ready for new trading rules between the UK and EU. 

Speaking to the UK’s Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), Harry Swan, CEO of Thomas Swan, said his firm has already taken action to prepare for the end of the Brexit transition period on 31 December, and is now calling on others to do the same.

Swan said: “There is still time to prepare and there will be time post-transition to make any necessary adjustments, but you must engage and read the advice that many organisations such as BEIS, HSE and your trade bodies are providing. Don’t assume everything will be done for you. Act now to ensure you have a licence to operate.”

Swan’s advice comes as BEIS prepares to deliver new webinars to help businesses understand the important actions they need to take to be ready for the start of 2021.   

The webinars are free, and depending on the topic being covered, take between 45–90 minutes. Upcoming topics include chemicals, use of personal data, and business travel. Webinars are available for on-demand viewing, including a dedicated webinar for the metals and materials sector.  

Thomas Swan is a performance and speciality chemicals manufacturer, making products for many household disinfectants or rubber-processing additives that go into tyres.

It employs 176 people, with headquarters and manufacturing based in Consett, UK. It also has sales offices in Shanghai, China and Newark, US.

Swan says: “About 30% of our goods are sold into the EU. We have applied for and been granted Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) status by HMRC. This will help us export from 1 January 2021 by smoothing customs procedures and avoiding any surprises.”

To ensure it has a good understanding of the changes that need to be made to business operations, the company has also: 

• ensured it has dedicated internal resources to focus on regulations so it has a licence to operate;
• checked what actions it should take under UK REACH and EU REACH to continue to manufacture and place chemicals on the GB, NI and EU markets;
• used UK guidance to understand trading arrangements for non-EU countries from 1 January 2021; and
• ensured that travelling employees have checked their requirements for visas.

 BEIS recommends companies use the free webinar resources available here to prepare for the end of the Brexit transition period.

  It also recommends speaking with a lawyer and accountant for more information, or using the Government checker tool to generate information tailored to your business, and to sign up for email updates.