The United Kingdom left the European Union on 31 January 2020 and is now approaching the end of the transition period without any individual trade deal with EU member states.
Tarkett are therefore planning for the possibility of continued trade under World Trading Organisation rules.
These rules stipulate that goods arriving into the country from the EU or leaving for a destination within the EU will be subject to standard customs processes already in existence for other trading partners.
It has now been made clear that the transition to the WTO working practices including import and export checks will be phased in during 2021 which should help mitigate the potential impact on deliveries. At this time we are, however unable to confirm what the impact of the duties will be on our UK market prices.
Tarkett continue to monitor this critical situation very closely.
We have already taken a number of measures to ensure we maintain consistency in terms of supply of our finished goods.
Tarkett UK has the significant advantage of the UK production site and warehousing facility at Lenham in Kent.
To optimise availability we have identified our key fast moving product lines across the business and have adjusted Lenham manufacturing and stock holding accordingly.
Products imported from Tarkett sites in mainland Europe and beyond have been considered and stocked locally where appropriate. Our Supply Chains teams are working closely with our factories and logistics partners to ensure we maintain our well established supply processes.
Delays at ports for non UK stocked items are likely during the first period of the New Year, we are in the process of assessing customer stock levels of all products which would be affected and ensuring orders are placed in advance to avoid potential delays where necessary.
To minimise the risk of delays due to revised customs procedures we are reviewing all available routes into the country and preparing for the increased administration work in conjunction with our logistics service providers.
The Tarkett UK Management Team are continually reviewing the latest information related to this situation and would welcome any concerned customers or suppliers questions with regard to the projected impact of the ‘no deal’ scenario.