Covid and Brexit have hit transportation and storage harder than any other sector
Posted by: electime 8th June 2021
The latest Government Business Insights report reveals that the transportation and storage sector has been hit hardest by Covid and Brexit. ParcelHero says the shock result shows that more supply chain companies have closed and fewer surviving firms are currently trading than in any other sector.
The latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) Business Insights report reveals the shock news that the transportation and storage industry has been hardest hit of all sectors by Covid and Brexit. The home delivery expert ParcelHero says that even hotels, food services, arts and entertainment have fared better.
ParcelHero’s Head of Consumer Research, David Jinks, who is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport, says the logistics and supply chain sector is a trusted barometer of the economy and that these results come as a shock.
‘The report – “Business insights and impact on the UK economy” – reveals that, between 17-30 May, 9.6 per cent of “Transportation and storage” category companies reported they had now closed permanently; 15 per cent were still temporarily shuttered and just 75.4 per cent had resumed trading. These trading status figures are grim reading and highlight the double whammy of the pandemic and Brexit on the transport and supply chain sector.
‘To put the results into context, we might have expected the “Accommodation and food service activities” sector to have been significantly more damaged by lockdowns than transportation and storage. After all, no one was able to go on holiday or eat out for months. That proved not to be the case, however. During the latter half of May, only 1.6 per cent of eateries and hotels reported they had closed their doors permanently; 15.1 per cent remained closed temporarily and 83.3 per cent had resumed trading.
‘Likewise, even the “Arts, entertainment and recreation” sector fared better, despite long periods of lockdown. No entertainment companies contributing to the report said they had closed permanently, although 14.3 per cent were still temporarily shut. An impressive 85.4 per cent of arts and entertainment organisations are now open again.
‘Both the arts and the accommodation and food sectors actually reported worse financial performances than transport and storage firms, but significantly fewer organisations actually failed.
‘The report is obviously grim news for transport and storage companies. It also strikes a warning note for anyone hoping to see evidence of an economic recovery. The logistics sector is an indicator of the economy. When manufacturers and retailers are doing well, their transport providers are busy; similarly, when UK companies begin to struggle, transport and warehousing is the first sector to show an immediate decline.
‘The root of the problem is that freight transport companies are particularly exposed to the impact of Brexit. This is on top of issues caused by the pandemic. It’s extremely concerning that Customs problems have not got any better since Brexit regulations first hit in January. Says the report: “The proportions of businesses experiencing challenges in importing and exporting are broadly unchanged since January 2021.” That is a damning indictment of current Government policy.
‘During the period 3-16 May, 38.2 per cent of exporters reported increased challenges around additional paperwork; 26.8 per cent reported challenges with new Customs duties; 15.2 per cent indicated reduced demand for products and 8.6% complained of disruption at UK borders. Brexit issues remain a hurdle for exporters and their transport providers.
‘ParcelHero’s own in-depth analysis of the ongoing EU-UK trade problems and, in particular, the powder keg Northern Ireland Protocol agreement can be seen at: https://www.parcelhero.com/research/brexit-study