London-based container transportation company Samskip has revealed that it has secured its supply chain against Brexit disruption through two years of pre-Brexit investment in North Sea container shipping services.
Due to several questions hovering over the precise nature of the future EU-UK trading relationship, Samskip has stated that regular, reliable and cost-competitive container services are essential in planning for the future.
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Samskip UK sales director Andy Foulds said: “The months ahead will see uncertainty for companies trading goods between the UK and the EU, and businesses are looking to secure their supply chains.
“Samskip is moving cargo for blue-chip customers now which have never done business with us before and which seek containerised transportation solutions to ensure the availability of their products on the shelves.”
The company increased its sailings between Hull and Benelux ports to 11 per week, adding to its current three weekly calls into Tilbury and one call per week into Grangemouth.
According to the firm, its container volumes are growing quickly to fill the additional capacity.
Foulds added: “Under normal circumstances, offering to run ‘business as usual’ is not news, but the impending Brexit makes it the freight industry news that business is crying out for.”
Samskip began preparing for its Brexit early last year, with the launch of larger tonnage on its Rotterdam-UK routes.
It accelerated preparation this year with the launch of a new three-times-per-week-Amsterdam-Hull service and a separate twice-weekly link between Antwerp and Hull to provide an additional UK-destined containerised solution to Belgium and Northern France.
Samskip also enhanced its six times weekly rail service between Rotterdam and Melzo (Milan) with the launch of new regular rail connections between Italy and Amsterdam, opening up of new routes and new connectivity, and further bolstering containerised links between the continent and the UK.
Foulds added: “Three continental ports and three UK East coast ports, plus Samskip’s separate dedicated Irish services, linked to deep-reaching rail and barge services into Europe offer a diversity of routes to defray current and future transportation risks.”
