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The UK’s decision to leave the European Union has caused changes in the logistics market. What does the transport of goods between the UK and Poland look like after Brexit and how to plan supply chains between Poland and the UK to minimise costs?

With the UK leaving the European Union, the country became a ‘third country’ for Poland in transport and goods have to be transported in customs transit. After Brexit, the islands left the European Economic Area (EEA), controls reappeared at the borders, the waiting time for goods to enter (and leave) has increased significantly Currently, customs procedures do not affect transport times. It takes place smoothly so this mention can be omitted, and the number of documents needed to legally import and export goods to and from the Islands has multiplied significantly.

*ASL is a logistics company that helps organise the formalities for customs, transport and storage of goods. We prepare shipping documents, give full monitoring and advise on organising import/export. We offer general cargo by road, sea and air, as well as full-load international (and domestic) transport, always at the lowest prices.

Carriage of goods by road to and from the UK after Brexit – our company helps organise the formalities

TiRs and other cars transporting goods by road can be stopped by the UK Border Agency to check customs documents, the driver’s entitlement, to check the technical condition of the vehicle, as well as the conformity of the load being transported with the transport documents.

When transporting goods to and from the UK from Poland and other EU countries, transport clearance, opening of transit, closing of transit, and import clearance must be carried out. Everyone involved in the supply chain regardless of which way they are going) must have a GB EORI number.

Transport to the UK – requirements for drivers (code 95, GMR number)

Drivers carrying our cargo, moving within the UK, must be ready at all times to show the Code 95 to the UK services (Code 95 is very rarely used. It is better to replace it with the generic name of Certificate of Professional Competence for Drivers ( CPC ) entered on the driving licence or the relevant entry certifying that they are a professional driver, recorded on the driver’s qualification card.

Over time, the need to register with GVMS, the goods vehicle service system, was also introduced. This applies to any vehicle carrying freight that has entered the UK from abroad and wishes to deliver goods to a consignee located within the UK. The exporter/agent/shipper should provide the haulier with all the customs and other route documents that will be required for the driver to declare That we have registered with the GVMS system, the UK services find out as soon as we cross the border. (Some or all of the documents prepared can be sent digitally so that an individual number can be generated in advance – we must then have an individual GMR number generated for us, which certifies that we have made a full customs declaration. To obtain this number, it is necessary to create a UK Government Gateway account and register there. For this to be possible, it is necessary to obtain an EORI number issued to Polish carriers by the National Tax Administration. ASL as a logistics company provides a comprehensive, compliant transport service from EU countries to the UK – contact our staff for details of a quote for your individual case!

Freight transport to the UK – cabotage ban

In the course of carrying out a number of changes associated with the UK’s gradual exit from the European Union, the rules relating to cabotage have tightened. At the end of 2022, changes to the regulations came into force, according to which cabotage operations can be carried out within the UK provided,Each journey can include up to 2 cabotage operations in the UK , provided that they are carried out after a journey with a load from the EU and within 7 days of unloading in the UK . that the car has entered the islands with the imported goods, with only two operations allowed within 7 days. Transport operations can only be carried out entirely with the same vehicle (or combination of vehicles).

There have also been changes when it comes to intermodal transport. Here, the British have banned the receipt of goods using trailers that are unregistered in the UK. It is also not possible to access the loading and unloading of intermodal freight more than 25 km from the British coastal border.

Transport to the UK after Brexit – changes in 2024

As of 30 April 2024, changes to the way border controls are carried out on goods entering the UK from European Union countries came into force. The UK has set up Border Control Posts (BCPs) where animal products, plants and plant products defined as medium risk are inspected.

Summary – changes in transport after Brexit

The UK’s exit from the European Union has not impeded imports and exports (on the contrary – according to indicators, imports and exports between the UK and EU countries are growing year on year), but it has significantly increased the costs of transport, warehousing, as well as indirect costs related to transport (companies must, for example, employ additional staff to handle transport in its new form) and made the whole process more complicated. ASL is perfectly positioned to navigate the meanders of post-Brexit logistics – also for non-standard goods, i.e. transport of medicines to and from the UK, transport in the food industry, or transport of machinery, bulky items, electronics and non-standard goods. Contact us and quote for the transportation of your cargo quickly!

SENT, the System for Electronic Surveillance of Transport, is a road monitoring system, which primarily serves to track so-called sensitive goods. This category includes goods such as, for example, heating fuels, biodiesel, lubricating oils or denatured alcohols whose transport:

– commencing and terminating on the territory of Poland,  
– commencing and terminating outside the territory of Poland (export) 
– commencing outside the territory of Poland and terminating on the territory of Poland (import)

When do you have to report SENT as a carrier?

Anyone who trades and intermediates in the transport of the above-mentioned products is obliged to register on the PUESC platform (Platform for Electronic Fiscal and Customs Services). Only after registration do we gain access to SENT-related services. Each time a new notification is created, an individual notification number is generated along with three individual access keys. Each of these has a different function and allows you to update (consignor), complete data (carrier) or close (consignee). The SENT reference number is valid for 10 days from the date of issue. 
However, please note that after the 10-day period, the number will automatically expire and the receiving party (in the case of domestic sales) will not be able to confirm receipt of the goods.

e-TOLL, or how to run SENT

For the haulier, there is an obligation to equip the means of transport with a device that transmits geolocalisation data. Currently, the most convenient way is to install the e-Toll application on a GPS-enabled mobile device. Once correctly configured, an individual business number will be assigned to the device. This number is later required when updating the SENT declaration. Please also note that simply registering the device is not sufficient. Each time before starting a transport, it is necessary to launch the application and select the ‘start journey’ option for the corresponding SENT declaration number. A similar action should be performed after the delivery by selecting ‘end journey’.

Which goods are covered by SENT? How to check the list of goods subject to the SENT procedure?

The list of goods covered by the SENT monitoring system includes a variety of categories, including:

• fuels, i.e. petrol, oils, heating and engine fuels,
• other substances: lubricants, binders, solvents, textile grease preparations, dried tobacco, cigarette ribbons and cigarette papers, denatured and undenatured ethyl alcohol,
• waste: paints, varnishes, solvents, adhesives, as well as other waste specified in the applicable regulations.

In order to check whether the goods you are transporting are covered by the SENT procedure, you need to verify the commodity code in the Combined Nomenclature (CN) and then check in the Electronic Transport Supervision System whether the given commodity number is covered by monitoring.

What is the penalty for failure to declare SENT?

It should be mentioned that all entities involved in the transport of goods are obliged to supplement and/or promptly update the data contained in the declaration. An entity failing to declare the carriage of so-called sensitive goods in the SENT system (System of Electronic Transport Supervision) may receive a fine of 45% of the value of the goods, but no less than PLN 20,000. An additional PLN 10,000 – for the lack of a geolocaliser.

On the other hand, a driver who has not checked the reference number that the declared goods should have must face a fine of between PLN 5,000 and PLN 7,500.

If the receiving/acquiring entity fails to comply with the obligation to close the SENT declaration, it may face a penalty of:

1) PLN 5000 – in the case of a business entity;

2) PLN 1,000 – in the case of a non-business entity.

Which goods are not covered by the SENT procedure?

• consignments which are subject to the customs procedures of transit, storage, temporary admission, processing and export,
• consignments moving under suspension of excise duty using the EMCS,
• carriage of goods by means of transport belonging to state bodies (police, ABW, border guards).

Transport of goods under the SENT procedure with ASL

Naturally, we carry out such transports as part of our ASL Road and ASL Rail Freight business lines. Depending on the customer’s expectations, we carry out the transport of goods under the SENT procedure or comprehensively carry out a logistics project, one element of which is transport under the procedure in question: from advice and support in notifying the PUESC system, transport in accordance with the requirements set out in the procedure, warehousing and transhipment services at our own and partner warehouses and distribution at home or abroad.

Due to the dockers’ strike and an overlay of other problems, the Port of Hamburg halted the receipt of goods trains for 24 hours on Thursday. Delays at the Hamburg terminals now amount to more than 24 hours and negotiations between employers and trade unionists are still ongoing.

Will strikes become more frequent?

The carrier expects that customers will have to get used to such delays. Metrans points out that the main rail lines do not have sufficient capacity. These circumstances force the carriers to raise prices. Employees of the Port of Hamburg are also demanding social guarantees in the upcoming change of ownership of the port.

Who is organising the strikes?

The strikes in Hamburg are organised by the trade union Ver.di, which is trying to negotiate the best working conditions with the association of terminal operators ZDS. Parallel to the port strikes, there was a demonstration in the centre of Hamburg. The main reason for the strike is the planned sale of a 49% stake in HHLA, Hamburg’s largest terminal operator, to the MSC group. The union members want to conclude a collective agreement before the planned transaction in order to secure their jobs.

Disruption in logistics chains

Problems at the port and congestion on the railway infrastructure negatively affect hauliers causing a significant increase in transport costs. In recent weeks, protests by seaport workers have been a direct cause of disruption to freight transport in various parts of the world. Dockworkers have gone on strike in the USA, India and Australia, among others.

Dear customers, partners,

We are pleased to announce that we have decided to extend the working hours of our warehouse in Nadarzyn. This is a step aimed at adapting our services even better to your needs. This change will not only allow us to speed up the execution of unloading and loading, but also to provide greater flexibility, which is a particularly important element in a dynamic industry such as logistics.

As of 09.09.2024, the ASL warehouse in Nadarzyn will operate from Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Longer working hours mean that we will be able to respond to your needs more quickly and handle more transports in a shorter period of time. You will benefit from shorter turnaround times and greater availability of our services. All of this translates into better fluidity for your business, especially when deadlines and urgent deliveries are crucial.

We believe that the changes we have made will allow us to serve you even better by providing the reassurance that you can count on us. Thank you for your trust so far and we look forward to continuing to work with you!

Have a great weekend,
The ASL Nadarzyn Team

The Central and Eastern European region is currently entering a key moment of transformation. It has the potential to make the region one of the most important logistics areas in the world.

Development of logistics in Poland

Poland has been consistently strengthening its position on the European logistics market for many years. This translates into clear growth, thanks to which we are constantly improving our position in the global TSL rankings. Our country is investing heavily in warehouse logistics, infrastructure and road transport, as well as developing seaports.

What influences growth?

The region’s growing importance is due to a number of strategic infrastructure investments, such as Rail Baltica and CPK. These projects aim to improve transport connections. Both within the region and with the rest of Europe, which is key to increasing the efficiency of supply chains. Although already, at least in road transport, Poland boasts some of the best results in Europe.

The aforementioned investments, combined with the growing importance of secure and disruption-proof supply chains, make the CEE region increasingly attractive to international investors. In an era of global challenges, such as geopolitical tensions or climate change, CEE is gaining importance as a stable and strategic location for logistics operations.

The Central Transport Port, which is to become an investment combining air, rail and road transport – is one of the key elements of this transformation. These investments will not only improve regional connections, but also strengthen the position of Poland and its neighbours on the global logistics map.

European opportunity

The transformation of the CEE region into a logistics hub of the future is not only an economic development opportunity, but also a response to the global difficulties the world is currently facing. Through strategic investment and cooperation, Central and Eastern Europe has the potential to become one of the key players in global supply chains.

The icon of Poznań, the famous ‘Okrąglak’, has been hosting a new branch of our company since the beginning of September. This is the 8th branch of ASL on the map of Poland.

Strategic location

This is what Mariusz Rogowski, board member and partner at ASL Group, says about the new investment: ‘Poznań is a strategic location for the logistics industry due to its central location in Europe and excellent transport infrastructure, including motorways, railways and proximity to the airport. The city also offers a developed network of logistics and warehousing centres, which attracts investors and facilitates the distribution of goods to national and international markets.’

A modernist gem

It is impossible not to add a few words about the unique location of our Poznań branch: ‘Okrąglak’ is a modernist building in the centre of Poznań, located at 14 Mielżyńskiego Street, on the corner of 27 Grudnia Street. It was designed by architect Marek Leykam and built between 1948 and 1954. For more than 50 years it served as a department store, and is now an office and service building. ‘Okrąglak’ is distinguished by its unique cylinder shape and glazed facade, which makes it one of the symbols of Poznań.

We invite you to visit our branch in Poznań.

In the last week of August, in the presence of the Minister of Infrastructure and the Secretary of State of the Ministry of Infrastructure, a contract for the construction of the MOLF offshore structure was signed. This specialised structure will be part of the infrastructure accompanying the construction of Poland’s first nuclear power plant.

What is MOLF?

It is a special structure designed for the offloading of oversize and oversize cargo that cannot be split into smaller pieces. MOLF is an abbreviation for Marine Off-Loading Facility.

What does the scope of the signed agreement cover?

The scope of the signed contract includes the design of a bridge for the unloading of indivisible oversize cargo required for the construction and operation of the nuclear power plant. The project also includes a section of technical road to allow further transport of the transshipped cargo.

The contractor for the project documentation is a consortium of WUPROHYD Sp. z o.o. and INGEO Sp. z o.o., and they have 14 months to prepare the complete documentation.

Summary

This is undoubtedly an essential investment, needed to build the first nuclear power plant in Poland. It is an investment of strategic importance, of great significance for the future of our country, energy stability, defence and the climate.

Poland is becoming an increasingly important player in the global cosmetics trade, exporting more and more cosmetics to foreign markets. Poland’s share of world GDP is about 1 per cent, while its share of world cosmetics exports is 3.8 per cent.

Polish products are increasingly recognised

Cosmetic products from Poland are gaining increasing recognition thanks to their high quality, innovation and competitive prices. Poland is an increasingly popular location for production facilities of companies from all over the world. This provides an opportunity to utilise the potential and knowledge of Polish specialists. This, in turn, is increasingly contributing to Poland’s growing importance as an exporter.

The commodity structure of cosmetics exports is similar in most countries around the world. However, there are some minor but important differences due to specialisation and advantages in the production of selected commodities.

How do we stack up against European competition?

Poland is the fifth largest exporter of cosmetics in the European Union with a share of 8 per cent. As much as 65 per cent of the cosmetics exported from Poland go to the EU market. The ratio of exports to imports of cosmetics in Poland in 2023 was 1.72. This means that the value of exports was 72 per cent higher than the value of imports.

What do we export?

Skin care preparations are the dominant category, accounting for 47 per cent of cosmetics exports worldwide. For Poland, this category accounts for 43 per cent and is also the largest part of exports.

Since Poland’s accession to the European Union, cosmetics exports have increased 8-fold and GDP 3.6-fold. The average annual growth rate of cosmetics exports has been very high – since 2004, it has been close to 12 per cent. In the last ten years, the rate has been over 9 per cent.

From the winter flight schedule, the carrier plans to allocate one of its four Airbus A321 freighters to serve the Polish market. Flights will take place on the Frankfurt-Warsaw or Frankfurt-Katowice route, which will enable faster transport of goods to and from Poland. This is a groundbreaking change, because previously the carrier transported all air freight from Poland to German airports by road.
The decision on the choice of the airport to which the planes will fly will be made in the coming weeks, but there are many indications that Katowice may become the main destination airport due to the crowding of the Warsaw airport and restrictions on night flights and noise.

Each time the plane will be able to take on board 25 tons of cargo.

This year, PIP will carry out over 60,000 control. Among transport companies, he will especially check the compliance of remuneration payments and working hours. This is an area where a significant number of violations occur. The legality of employment of foreigners will also be verified. What inspections should companies in the TSL industry be prepared for?

Transport is a disgraceful leader

The National Labor Inspectorate announced that it would carry out 2,000 inspections. They will concern regulations regarding working time, remuneration and other benefits resulting from the employment relationship. According to previous inspections carried out by the National Labor Inspectorate, violations in this area are among the most frequently violated regulations. Warehouse management and transport are the areas that take the lead in terms of the number of complaints regarding violations in the area of working time and payment of wages.

Driving and rest time will also be part of the control

The Road Transport Inspectorate will take a closer look at issues related to the correctness of access to entrepreneurs’ bases or to drivers’ places of residence. The driver can drive the vehicle for a maximum of half a day. But only if you take appropriate breaks from driving to reach the place where you will take your weekly rest.

New tachograph – what to pay attention to?

First of all, drivers need to acquire new skills in operating recording devices due to their upcoming replacement with new generation tachographs. However, installers and users of tachographs notice a number of problems resulting from the early stage of development of the new technology.

The issue of legality of employment of foreigners

The aim of the actions taken is also to eliminate illegal workers. Inspectors will pay special attention to verifying the legality of employment of people from areas of high migration risk, such as North Africa or Asia.

PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A. has signed a contract with Nokia Solutions and Networks sp. z o.o., a company that is one of the leading suppliers of equipment for the GSM-R system. Under the terms of the contract, the necessary software upgrades and reconfiguration of the radio network will be carried out to integrate it with the new automatic telephone exchange provided for in the framework of the national GSM-R network implementation project.

What is GSM-R?

The GSM-R system is based on the basic GSM system. However, it has been enhanced with functions required for the operation and maintenance of railway infrastructure and train traffic management. The system also allows for optimised train flow and trains can reach higher speeds. This means shorter journey times for passengers.

Efforts to develop GSM-R systems will lead to the expansion of the network coverage and allow for progress towards standardisation.

The first visible result of the work will be the launch of GSM-R voice communications on the railway line connecting Warsaw with the Tricity, which is scheduled for the third quarter of next year. This type of operation involves testing and monitoring the new system in real-world conditions to gather experience and ensure its safest possible implementation. This will allow us to test a number of operational scenarios in which GSM-R communications will be used for communication. The system being implemented will allow communication between PLK SA traffic managers and drivers who operate the operators‘ trains, as well as between PLK SA employees and operators’ employees.

The experience gained will influence the final form of the instructions and rules adopted by PLK SA and the operators. Once the observed operation is completed, voice communications in the GSM-R network will be available for use on the remaining railway lines covered by the project.

It is estimated that the project will take about 13 months to complete.

Today, our customs agency faced an unusual challenge: for one of our clients, a Polish distributor of Airbus helicopters, we performed customs clearance outside the EU for the export of the H130 helicopter.

To carry out this operation, it was necessary to obtain several documents from the Civil Aviation Authority: an airworthiness certificate, an export airworthiness certificate and a certificate of removal from the Civil Aircraft Register. This was not the first helicopter in the hands of our customs agency, so the whole procedure went extremely quickly and efficiently.

The helicopter will be delivered by road transport to Luxembourg and from there transported by air to Mexico.