DHL hires hundreds of customs staff to prepare for Brexit without agreement

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – Deutsche Post DHL has hired hundreds of workers to deal with the new customs procedures that should be imposed after Britain's withdrawal from the European Union, an executive said on Tuesday.

Europe is Britain's largest trading partner. New tariffs and clearance procedures for goods could be introduced unless Britain can reach agreement on its future relationship with the 28-member bloc before it leaves.

John Pearson, managing director of the DHL Express subsidiary, told Reuters that his company "started hiring seriously about three months ago" and recruited about 50 new workers a week.

"They are people on the ground in the hubs. They arrive on our pay list sitting in a nerve center probably processing customs documents to make sure the goods are cleared quickly, "he said in an interview.

"We are aware that if, in a scenario of non-agreement, the customs will be the best for everything, we do not want to be caught off guard," he said.

Pearson, who took office in January, did not specify the direct impact of Brexit on the company's operations, but said: "If no agreement was announced suddenly on March 29, we would be more ready as anyone ".

DHL, one of the largest parcel suppliers in Europe, with major operations in the EU and Great Britain, handles the transport of goods by air and road between the two commercial regions.