A new customs clearance office has opened in Dover - bringing together leading Swiss and Italian firms, united by an opportunity they believe has been generated by Brexit.

Franzosini and Butti (F&B) Ltd is a new company formed by Swiss firm Franzosini and Italian company Butti Dino.

Both already deploy their customs specialists to declare over over 150,000 shipments per year which cross the Europe borders, both for imports and exports.

Now the two family-run companies believe they can deploy their expertise to help ease UK customs clearance issues amid a raft of new regulations introduced due to the break away from the EU.

Marco Tepoorten, owner and director of Franzosini Group, a Swiss transport, logistics, and customs clearance company, explained: "Franzosini and Butti Dino have had a fantastic and long-term working relationship and friendship, which led to our collaboration on this project."

Adds Alessandro Butti, director of Butti Dino: "Brexit has brought a considerable increase in our workload. Since the first of January we had to compete in a new market.”

Supported by inward investment agency Locate in Kent, the firm has secured office space in Cannon Street, in Dover town centre, and hired its first UK manager, Evelynne Morris – all without the senior figures being able to travel to the UK due to travel restrictions. Evelynne Morris has over 30 years of customs experience.

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