EU referendum comment by Peter Ward, chief executive officer of the United Kingdom Warehousing Association (UKWA)
This morning, the world looks like a very different place. A vote to leave the EU was not what we – or most of the pundits – were expecting. Indeed, UKWA polls have consistently shown a clear preference among members to remain.
In my view, this momentous decision by the UK will have serious global implications, bringing new challenges for Briti
sh businesses and particularly for those within our industry.
Many of our members trade across Europe and have enjoyed the benefits of ‘logistics sans frontiers’ for 40 years, with goods entering and leaving our country freely. My hope now is that as new trade agreements are forged, there is no return to red tape and complex customs regulations that prove burdensome and costly for UKWA members.
As usual the devil is in the detail, and we will work hard on behalf of our members to ensure those negotiating Britain’s exit fully understand the ramifications.
On the positive side, we have for some time been talking about the new opportunities for British business emerging with the big super-powers in different parts of the world; already we are focusing on the tremendous potential in China – we have a UK-China Trade Mission planned for October and currently we’re running webinars for members and non-members to encourage and support them in exploring this exciting marketplace.
In summary, as the Prime Minister has said this morning, there is no going back. We must now hold our nerve and plan for the future, not take a small island introspective view, but instead look to claim our place on the global platform.
