The Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo is recently quoted as saying that despite Brexit, Europe has “the will to remain the world’s most important trading bloc.” To achieve this, businesses everywhere are using Belgium’s strategic location and favourable trading conditions to turn Brexit into a business opportunity.
Continental Cargo Carriers’ Acquisition
Europa Worldwide Group did just this, acquiring unaccompanied trailer operation Continental Cargo Carriers in 2018, which came under the Europa Road banner in 2022. This year, as the Oostende team celebrates its first birthday as Europa Road, the company reflects on its investment in the region, having doubled the size of its team and expanded its capacity to better support its local customers.
The enhanced Belgium operation provides a comprehensive service of groupage, part-load and full load for customers wanting to optimise the flow of goods between Belgium and the UK post Brexit.
Carlo Turner, Non-Network & Continent Director at Europa Worldwide Group comments:
“Belgium was Europa’s first venture in the Benelux market, which is widely revered as one of the best regions to establish trade operations. Furthermore, despite various economic headwinds over the past year with fluctuating volumes of trade, according to the Index of Economic Freedom the Belgian economy has demonstrated its resilience.
“This has been critical in allowing us to expand our capabilities across sales, local customs support and customer service. By recruiting new talent and investing in current team members, we have boosted our in-house expertise. Furthermore, with the help of our unique DDP service Europa Flow we can ease costly, complex paperwork burdens and support frictionless trade between the EU and UK”.
Europa Flow
The company in Belgium launched Europa Flow in response to the complexities associated with EU-UK trade post-Brexit. The service uses DDP incoterms to take care of customs declarations and duty requirements prior to delivery, easing complex administration and improving transit times. Europa Road also opened an office in Rotterdam in February 2023, cementing its foothold in the Benelux region.
“Europa Flow is a great example of our dedication to optimising the flow of goods between Benelux and the UK post-Brexit. It is also testament to the work of Europa Worldwide Group as a whole, as it celebrates its Decade of Growth,” Carlo said.
Europa’s Decade of Growth
The Belgian team’s first anniversary is part of Europa’s ongoing Decade of Growth celebrations, which commemorates ten years of since its acquisition by Andrew Baxter. As part of this growth, Europa Road opened an office in Rotterdam in February 2023, cementing its commitment to the Benelux region.
Carlo commented:
“The Belgium team has helped to reinforce Europa Road’s position as experts in European road freight. As we celebrate a great first year, as a part of our Decade of Growth, we are also looking ahead to see how we can further support EU businesses trade with the UK.
Europa Worldwide Group has three divisions – Road, Air & Sea, and Warehouse – and an ever-expanding global footprint. Over the past year the Group has expanded into the Middle East and Asia, with new sites being established in Shanghai, Dubai, Delhi, Shenzhen and India.