European distributors’ association Eurometal says the signing of a Brexit deal between the UK and EU is good news for the distribution sector.

The deal was agreed and signed towards the end of December following months of negotiations after the UK formally left the EU on 31 January 2020.

“Eurometal welcomes the vital deal reached in the negotiations on the future of post-Brexit relations between the United Kingdom and the European Union. We believe that this tariff-free deal is a great relief for global steel distribution that avoided the catastrophic effect of a no-deal Brexit,” Eurometal director general Daniel Guinabert says in a note seen by Kallanish.

At the Kallanish Europe Steel Markets 2020 virtual conference last month Guinabert said the distribution sector ought to think about new models in their businesses, meaning tools like automation and digitalisation. This is in order to be prepared for sudden changes in demand, as has been seen during the Covid-19 pandemic.