November 4th, 2018

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Brexit breeding uncertainty (photo: Pixabay)

Many Brits in Denmark breathed a half-sigh of relief when, in his speech opening the Danish Parliament, the Danish prime minister said he would “look after” Brits living and working here, regardless of the outcome of the Brexit negotiations.

This statement, although non-specific, will do something to give the 18,500 British citizens living in Denmark and their employers some peace of mind.

A multitude of possibilities
The British Chamber of Commerce in Denmark has been actively trying to keep our members, and all those interested in UK-DK trade, up-to-date with Brexit developments, providing direct and indirect channels for feedback to both UK-based chambers and the UK government.

There are so many different issues and areas to address – particularly as the outcome is still unknown. I subscribe to the UK government updates of which I am currently receiving more than 40 a week, covering issues from financial services to consumer rights in the event of a no-deal.

New layer of uncertainty
Businesses are used to dealing with uncertainty on a day-to-day basis, but Brexit has added another layer of uncertainty.  Some smaller businesses have had to admit that they do not have the resources to develop contingency plans for all the potential scenarios and are hoping for a solution.

Others are considering moving registered offices and relocating staff to mitigate the risks they see. There are also companies actively developing new markets to mitigate any new tariff barriers that might arise.

Here to help
What businesses want is a speedy resolution, so they can get back to their core competences, developing innovative products and services, and continuing to develop the strong trade links between the UK and Denmark to the benefit of both countries.

At the chamber we keep ourselves up-to-date so that we can support our members with relevant information by pointing them in the direction of experts on relevant subjects.

We will also continue to provide relevant events, speakers and networking opportunities to enable them to be well positioned as the picture unfolds, as well as helping to promote and grow trade between the UK and Denmark.

Get in touch!
As I mentioned earlier, there are approximately 18,500 Brits living in Denmark, of which many work for companies that are not members of the chamber. There are also a significant number of Danes working in the UK for British and Danish companies.

I would be delighted to hear from any of these people in the context of their businesses and careers. Drop me an email!