Just when you thought you had heard the last about Brexit, that you understood the rules, the paperwork, it comes at you once again like some form of ‘Groundhog Day’. Is it all becoming too much, too difficult? Normandy offers solutions that can help with the latest dose of ‘Brexititis’.
Four years after leaving the EU, the United Kingdom is (finally) bringing in customs controls, beginning with sanitary and phytosanitary checks on foodstuffs. These will – almost inevitably – bring more friction for imports into the United Kingdom. Paperwork delays on agricultural products in the first wave, and physical checks from spring, will delay any consignment, and these will quickly have a cumulative effect across all imports. From this autumn, all imports will require a security declaration.
All of these may well lead to further price rises, notably on agricultural products in the UK, which will be passed on to consumers. And delays at the border may well lead to a consignment no longer being fresh for consumers, and so becoming worthless.
So, how can Normandy help? Our agricultural sector is highly renowned for the quality of its produce, livestock, and fishing. We are the leading French producer of dairy, cider and seafood products, with over 2.1 million hectares under cultivation and €3,6 billion in sales annually. With our geographical position just over the Channel, and our direct port access to the United Kingdom, fresh products from Normandy will still be fresh when they hit the shelves, whatever the paperwork.
And it’s not just about volume! Normandy is also very much about quality. We are home to:
- 4 Protected Geographical Indications
- 13 Protected Designations of Origin
- 22 Red Labels, a French indicator designating products of a higher quality compared to similar products
We have a complete value chain in Normandy, from the farm or the fishing boat, through the transformation of the raw ingredients, to shorter supply chains and multimodal and decarbonised transport.
In short, the region’s ambition going forward is to offer a greener, more sustainable agriculture. And all of this is on the UK’s doorstep.
This is all backed up with an excellent logistics sector, with companies such as Godfroy Transports, a 40 years old company and a renowned expert in the logistics and distribution of fresh, frozen and refrigerated food products, both nationally and internationally.
And Normandy doesn’t just have outstanding agricultural and logistics sectors…
If the combination of Brexit – and the impact of rising prices over the last few years – is meaning an even more radical rethink, then bringing your business to Normandy makes sense, whatever sector you’re in. Not only is Normandy a strategic location, close to Paris and at in the heart of the European consumer market, but it is also an international economy, open to Asia, North and South America, the Middle East and Africa, through its ports.
It offers a highly diversified economy, with strong, key strategic sectors such as industry, energy, digital, logistics, health and agriculture, as well as being an ideal ecosystem for transition projects – renewable energies, hydrogen, recycling, agri-food. All of this, and a highly trained and skilled workforce!
And Normandy is a world-renowned tourism destination, which welcomes millions from around the globe every year, and is one of the most recognisable names in the world.
These are just some of the reasons why nearly 800 companies have already made the choice to set-up in Normandy.
The Invest team in AD Normandie can advise investors in the different stages of the creation of their business to be able to set-up in Normandy.
Alongside our partners (lawyers, specialist accountants, insurance advisors, etc.) we work with you through each of the key stages of your project.
Our partners, as well as ourselves, have dedicated English speaking teams to work with international companies.
And all of these assets are combined in Normandy with a framework of superb landscapes, a rich and vibrant cultural heritage, gastronomy, and much more. Normandy has so much to offer those who want to make it their home and do business here.
Brexit and the cost-of-living may have become part of your everyday lives, but living, working and doing business in Normandy just makes everything that little bit easier!
