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How will Brexit impact the precision metal supply chain?

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How will Brexit impact the precision metal supply chain?
Whatever your political leanings or personal beliefs, it was obvious that the results of the EU referendum that took place on 23 June 2016 would undeniably have an impact on supply chains across all sectors. Whilst businesses strive for growth, consistency and quality, reliability have long been our first priority, and for years we’ve been caught in the unknown. With Brexit seemingly looming on the political agenda for eternity, Businesses across Europe were trying to prepare for all the possible eventualities. It’s hard to imagine that a year ago, many of us, some less secretly than others, were looking forward to the day when Brexit would not be the dominating discussion and mainstay of news headlines. Over the last twelve months, we’ve certainly learned to appreciate more what we had and be careful what we wish for. There is no denying that with a worldwide pandemic, 2020 was a year of yet more uncertainty and unprecedented challenges for manufacturers across the globe. But, with a deal reached, we can finally begin to move forward from Brexit.
 
Post-Brexit Precision Metal Supplies

Unsurprisingly, the way forward is not so simple. Concerns about price increases, material shortages and business disruption have not suddenly disappeared with a deal finally agreed. On a positive note, we can collectively give a sigh of relief that the new agreement ensures goods exchanged between the UK and EU countries are not subject to tariffs or quotas. However, new rules for moving goods to and from the UK ultimately means more red tape and indicates additional time and costs that may impact the supply chain. With the increasing pressure on precision and high-tech manufacturers to meet tight deadlines, minimising costs and delays are essential challenges to overcome. However, no matter the challenges, the Knight Group remains committed to all of its customers, and we strive daily to remain the consistent and reliable supply partner for all your precision material needs.

How we can help you secure your precision metal supply post-Brexit

In the short-term, as everyone familiarises themselves with the changes, we will be working hard to ensure our customers both in the UK and the rest of Europe will experience minimal disruption during the transition. In these initial weeks, we have seen congestion, especially at UK Channel ports, with the potential to impact delivery schedules.  However, we stock in excess of 5000 items of precision strip in coil, sheet and wire form at our UK stockist facility in Birmingham and have additional stockholding at our Belgium site. To keep your production line going, we will be using every resource available to get your material to you as efficiently as possible. The pandemic has had a devastating impact on manufacturers in a multitude of ways, from a downturn in orders, resource availability, and how to keep their teams safe and employed amid a crisis. With production facilities having to operate with fewer staff, we’ve been able to provide cut to length and edge dressed materials so that material arrives ready to go.

Your precision alloy supply chain going forward

With the global marketplace in flux, being able to offer customers lower minimum orders on precision metals at this time has been a lifeline for many of our customers. While previous EU regulations facilitated small order quantities from EU sources, requiring minimal administration, new rules may discourage other suppliers from being able to maintain this post Brexit. As one of the largest independent suppliers in Europe, the Knight Group intends to share the benefit of our purchasing power, offering the best prices for the quantities you need. If you are looking for a consistent and reliable partner to provide you with precision metals, then get in touch with our team and find out how we can help you today. For over 75 years, customers in 61 countries have trusted us to be their precision materials supplier, supporting the growth and sustainability of their businesses.

 
Not sure what we do?
We are a multi-metal stockist, offering an extensive range of precision metals including all grades of cold rolled stainless steel such as 301 304, 305, 316, 321, nickel alloys, titanium, aluminium and more. Customers rely on us owing to our consistently high-quality material supplied in strip thicknesses from 0.010 mm up to 3 mm and widths from 1.0 mm up to 1000 mm.  With over 300 tonnes of standard stock items in our UK warehouse or you can check out our full alloy range to see how we can meet your precision strip requirements. As one of Europe’s largest metal processors, whether you need cut to length, traverse winding, edge finishing, you can choose from a wide range of services tailored to meet your production needs. Download our brochure now, or arrange a chat with one of our experienced team. We are here to help you, whatever your material needs. Together we will develop and maintain a consistency to facilitate the growth we aspire to.
 
 
 
 
TLDR:  Don’t worry about how new Brexit regulations will impact your supply chain. We have 5000 items in stock in our UK facility to cover most precision metal needs, so you don’t need to wait for items help up in ports. We will still be able to offer low minimum order quantities at the best available price.

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