The Business Cheering Brexit

Customs agents are getting ready for a boom from the extra paperwork needed to keep goods moving

- Joe Mayes

Across British industry, Brexit remains a dirty word—unless you’re a customs agent. These middlemen, who make sure goods don’t get held up at border crossings, might be just about the only businesspeople cheering for the divorce.

For a quarter-century, companies across the European Union have enjoyed frictionless trade, including no customs checks. As the U.K. prepares to leave the EU, businesses face endless paperwork to keep everything from car parts to furniture moving between Britain and its largest trading partner.

“We’re all rubbing our hands together,” says George Baker, the founder of a logistics company along England’s eastern seaboard. George Baker Shipping Ltd., which has annual sales of £20 million ($26.2 million), expects a fivefold increase in customs work after Brexit. It plans to expand its 84-person operation by about 30%, he says.