This month’s policy briefing is a mixture of the macro and the micro. UK politics has been dominated recently by global concerns, with the Government focusing much of its attention on getting trade deals over the line. To its credit, it has pulled off not one, but two, since our last email: India and the USA.
While making it easier for goods to flow between countries is clearly beneficial for the logistics sector, the agreements are being taken by many in business with a pinch of salt. Not least because tariffs to export to America are still higher than they were before Trump embarked on his chaotic game of trade poker.
Warehouses have a significant role to play in facilitating trade, which is why this month, UKWA CEO Clare Bottle took part in a conference organised by the International Chamber of Commerce on the subject of trade finance, and warehouse receipts in particular – keep an eye out for her upcoming column in Warehouse & Logistics News.
Warehouses provide not only the means to store goods, but through documentation, the ability to access finance for different players in the supply chain. With multinationals, port operators and specialists in storing commodities all in our membership, paying attention to the global picture is important for the UKWA.
However, as they say in the States, ultimately ‘all politics is local’. We’ve got you covered there too. In this briefing, Ed Dolley provides a rundown of the recent local elections – being referred to as the ‘Reformquake’ – and what the results might mean for warehousing. Many decisions that affect our members, not least on planning, are made at a local level, which is why the UKWA has engaged with local authorities like Rugby, to make the case for the economic benefits of logistics, as Joshua Holland explains.
Finally, Karan Chhabra provides details on how the UKWA has been working to make sure parliamentarians understand the impact new employment rights will have on warehousing companies (who employ over 400,000 people, let’s not forget).
There is plenty going on in politics that could affect your business, both internationally and domestically.
If you want to add your input, whether that’s on how the UK could reduce red tape when trading with the EU, or a planning problem you’re having, I’d love to hear from you – Edwin.morgan@ukwa.org.uk
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