BREXIT Briefing - 12th November 2020

Join us on Thursday, 12th November from 9am - 10am for the IFSA BREXIT Briefing, during which we will explore the supports available to Foodservice operators as they prepare for the changes and challenges that January will bring.  The session will also look at the aspects of the supply chain, logistics and customs clearance systems that will be impacted by BREXIT and we will get a UK perspective on BREXIT and trade policy.

• DATE: Thursday, 12th November
• TIME:  9am - 10am
• LOCATION:  Webinar
• REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
• FEE:  FREE of charge

Session Panel

Moderator
Drewry Pearson - CEO Marco Beverage Systems & IFSA Treasurer
As the CEO of Marco Beverage Systems for over 24 years Drewry Pearson has been at the helm of expanding the business into a global presence. Under Drewry's leadership the business has expanded to include six satellite offices and production facilities in both China and Ireland. As the very first export market the UK laid the groundwork for Marco's growth and success in over 65 markets. As past President of EFCEM and SCAE, and currently on the board of IFSA, Drewry is a key figure in the global beverage and foodservice industries. His key focus remains the same: supporting and connecting with the resilient, creative, and dedicated coffee community around the world.
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Welcome Address
Minister Troy will give a summary of the current situation with regard to BREXIT negotiations and the outlook for companies preparing for January 1st

Robert Troy - ​Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation
Robert Troy TD is the Minister of State with responsibility for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. He was appointed to this role in July 2020.  He has been a Frontbench party Spokesperson since his election to Dáil Éireann. His various briefs have covered Arts and Heritage, Children and Youth Affairs, Transport, Tourism and Sport, and most recently Business, Enterprise and Innovation. He has served on the Oireachtas Committee on Business, Enterprise and Innovation. He was also a member of the Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport. For the past three years he has also been a member of the Council of Europe and during this time has spoken in this forum on a range of social issues.​

UK perspective on Brexit & Trade Policy
what are the impacts of a HARD v's SOFT BREXIT?- What is the possibility of a border in the island of Ireland and how would it work? - What are the other implications for standards/certifications and made in Ireland issues? - Likely currency, insurance and banking impacts

​Alan Winters - Professor of Economics, University of Sussex
Alan Winters is a leading specialist on the empirical and policy analysis of international trade, including that of Europe and of developing countries. He has published two hundred and fifty articles and chapters and over thirty books in areas such as regional trading arrangements, trade and poverty, non-tariff barriers, European integration, transition economies’ trade, international migration, agricultural protection and the world trading system. He has also published on small economies, global warming, pricing behaviour and econometrics. His current work is almost wholly devoted to research and policy analysis on the trade policy implications of Brexit​.
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Customs Clearance
Mechanics of customs and tariffs - What to do - Who to contact - Exposure if using incorrect tariff codes - Will the UK and EU / Ireland use harmonised codes?
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Derek Dunne, Managing Director Manifests Ireland
Derek has worked in the Logistics Industry for over thirty years and during that time has gained experience in the Customs process and procedures. Managing Director of Manifests Ireland a Customs Brokerage company founded in 2010 Derek and his team are responsible for over 200 declarations per week to Customs along with managing Customs Warehouse facilities and Customs authorisations on behalf of clients. Manifests Ireland and was awarded Authorised Economic Operator status by Irish Revenue in 2013 and were one for the first brokerage firms to achieve this status in Ireland.
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Supply Chain & Logistics
Impact of supply chain  changes - Likely delays - Alternative routes - Warehousing

Tom Thornton, Managing Director, Wells Cargo
Tom is an experienced Freight Forwarder and Customs Broker having worked in the industry since 1978. An Honorary Fellow, and past President  of the IIFA, (Irish International Freight Association) and their current spokesperson on BREXIT, he represents Ireland with CLECAT, a Brussels based forwarder group dealing directly with the EU. Since 2016 Tom has been encouraging companies to prepare for BREXIT and review their supply chains so as to try and minimise the impact on business and the economy in general.​

Government & State Supports & Training ​
What check lists should operators refer to over the coming 6 weeks and beyond?- What supports are accessible and how to avail of them​?
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Emer O’Byrne, Brexit Unit, Enterprise Ireland 
​With 12 years in Enterprise Ireland, Emer is an experienced Executive in the international trade and development industry. She has worked with software start-ups to raise investment and with industrial companies to undertake market entry and expansion strategies in Germany.  From 2017 to 2020, she was the team lead for the Market Diversification Unit, which was tasked with undertaking initiatives to foster and drive market diversification in Irish companies.  She currently works in the Brexit Unit to support Irish companies identify and overcome the challenges posed by Brexit.