Logistics chains serving small to medium-sized manufacturers will need to be adjusted as the companies rethink their supply lines ahead of Brexit. According to the latest UK SME Manufacturing Barometer, more than twothirds of the 400 respondents (69%) said they were using cash reserves to buy up and store raw materials and components currently sourced out of Europe. “Interestingly, the finding that nearly a third of respondents say they’re looking to move suppliers to the UK also suggests a significant opportunity for the UK market,” says Simon Howes, CEO of the Exelin Group which co-authored the report. In addition, some 8% of UK SME manufacturers say they could relocate suppliers currently based outside the EU to the UK. In a related study by law firm Brabners, 71% of automotive businesses surveyed said they expected to move part of their UK operations out of the country in the next three years.
