Register British shipbuilders in the EU
European legislation requires each recreational boat placed on the market in the EU to have a manufacturer's plate affixed. This indicates the CIN number of the boat, identifying the builder, model and date of construction. The 14-character CIN number incorporates the MIC (Manufacturers Identity Code), which designates the boat builder or importer when the boat comes from outside the EU. A few days before the end of negotiations with the EU, British Marine, the union of British boating professionals, has just reminded its members that their MIC code, obtained in the United Kingdom, will lose its validity immediately in the event of Brexit without agreement. The ships will then no longer be exportable to the EU. The stakes are high for a highly export-oriented industry. The union therefore invites its members to prepare the steps to obtain a MIC code from one of the 27 countries remaining in the EU the day after Brexit.
A blockage for dealers in the EU
It is not only British manufacturers who are concerned. Their distributors and dealers of overseas boat brands in the EU will be impacted. In the absence of a valid CIN number, they will be unable to sell their vessels. The alternative to direct site registration is the importer's registration as practiced in other countries. The importer, registered as a marketer, is then responsible for the boat's CE conformity, a commitment that could dissuade some professionals.
