Photo: Reimund Bertram, Pixabay
Photo: Reimund Bertram, Pixabay
PET plus

Nightmare Brexit

Scarcely any topic unsettles and divides people as much as Great Britain's exit from the EU. PET worldwide discovered at the PATS trade show just how insecure traders are feeling.
Deep insights, facts & figures: Premium information for the pet industry.
  • Retailers and suppliers: exclusive insights
  • Market analyses and country reports
  • Magazine in print and digital
  • Latest news and archive
TRIAL OFFER
Subscription
Continue reading now
"Nobody can actually say anything yet, because nobody knows what's really happening." This statement sums up the reactions of most of those present at the PATS show at Sandown Park in February.
One of the biggest concerns of manufacturers, importers and exporters is that cross-border goods traffic may not only be severely delayed, but could grind to a complete halt for several weeks until the administrative processes kick in again. Some food manufacturers based in Great Britain expressed concern that individual ingredients for their food production will not be able to enter the country as easily, thereby jeopardising the entire production process.
"None of them are insoluble problems, but the uncertainty is enormous," representatives of Naturediet from Norfolk told PET worldwide. They have already stocked up the warehouses and are currently contemplating Brexit in a more relaxed mood. The same is true of Purely Fish from Cornwall. Their raw materials are all sourced in Great Britain and production is located here. As a result, the employees at Purely Fish don't expect Brexit to have any notable impact.

A question of preplanning

The prevailing uncertainty over the outcome of the negotiations on a political level and the resulting consequences are causing most of the companies affected to plan ahead accordingly.
The British treat manufacturer Fish4Dogs, for example, works internationally with 34 distributors in individual countries. The company had already suggested to them early on that they should top up their own stocks so as to bridge any delivery shortages.
The German manufacturer Animonda has been supplying the British market for three years and has established its own warehouse in Britain. This has been stocked up in anticipation of Brexit and business development manager Adrian N. Hind does not expect any notable effect on day-to-day business. His German sales colleague Marcel Sheron adds: "Anyone intending to service the British market must do it properly."
Georgina Whatmore and Tony Libra of Snug & Cosy
Georgina Whatmore and Tony Libra of Snug & Cosy have reacted with the so-called Brexit cushion.
Back to homepage
Related articles
Read also