BREXIT – YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

We are well prepared

Like all British businesses, we worked hard to prepare for the UK leaving the EU. Following are the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions we have received post brexit from our customers. We hope you will find this resource useful and rest assured, we are here to support you.  Please reach out to your Account Manager if any of your questions remain unanswered. We will be updating this page on a regular basis as we receive enquiries and the situation develops. 

General

How confident are you that your company is responding well to any changes post brexit?

We had been well prepared for all possible Brexit scenarios and we had already put in place practical measures to pro-actively mitigate any disruption to the supply to our customers in the UK and Ireland, and to protect our workforce. Our teams are still working hard to respond to any changes following brexit.

 

Supply

Are your EU suppliers offering assistance for Brexit and in what way?

Hilti GB is supplied via Hilti Group who manufacture and source our products. We continue to work closely with colleagues in our European headquarters to ensure a seamless transition on both sides for Brexit.

Has your company evaluated its own supply chain to ensure a smooth transition? 

Yes, our supply chain remains suitable and effective.

What proportion of your supplies are obtained from Europe? 

Almost all Hilti products sold in the UK are sourced by Hilti GB from Europe. Further to this, the Hilti Group is global and already manages the supply of goods to many other Hilti operations based in countries outside of the EU. The Group operates through 29,000 employees in over 120 countries and we are assured that our production lines are not affected by Britain’s exit from the EU.

Has the level of your stock holding changed for Brexit?

Yes, we had been building stock in our GB warehouse throughout November and December 2020 on our most popular product ranges in order to mitigate any potential import delays at UK borders.

Are you registered for a UK EORI number?

Yes.

COSTS/ PRODUCT

Have you put in place a Duty Deferment Account to deal with any duty or VAT payable on imports? 

Yes, and we previously increased the capacity of this arrangement as a security measure. 

Will your product range change as a result of Brexit?

No, there will be no changes to product range as a result of Brexit.

Will any of your products increase in price as a result of Brexit?

We are not anticipating any general price increase following the agreement reached between the EU and UK.  Our product prices will be kept under review and adjusted only if necessary.

Will there be an impact on pricing due to new customs processes and import duties?

The Free Trade Agreement between the UK and the EU has clarified that no tariffs will be imposed on products which are manufactured in and sourced from the EU, and vice versa.  We do however expect there will be an increase to our operating costs in handling new customs processes for products imported into the UK and import duties for some products. We do not anticipate any change to our current product prices as a result of the Brexit agreement, although of course our pricing will be kept under review and adjusted if necessary. 

 

UK Conformity Assessed Marking

What is UKCA?

The UKCA (United Kingdom Conformity Assessed) mark is a product marking for goods being placed on the GB market (England, Scotland, Wales). 

The UKCA mark came into effect in 2021 due to the Brexit process. It covers goods that require the CE mark for the EU market. 

The UKCA mark demonstrates that the certain goods are compliant with UK regulations. It signifies that the product has been assessed to meet high safety, health, and environmental protection requirements.

What is UKTA?

The UKTA (United Kingdom Technical Assessment) is the criteria for non-harmonised products to get the UKCA mark. The UKTA is the equivalent to ETA (European Technical Assessment). 

What are the deadlines of CE marking recognition in GB for Hilti product groups?

For construction products the due date of the CE mark recognition is 30 June 2025 - this is valid for Hilti Fasteners, Firestop and Fire Protection products, Modular Support Systems. 

For certain product areas, the due date of the CE mark recognition is 31 Dec 2024, where there is divergence in requirements in respective EU and UK regulations governing those products. However, if there is alignment between these regulations, CE marking may continue to be accepted beyond 2024 in the UK. These product areas include Hilti Power Tools, Measuring Tools and Scanners, Direct fastening Tools, Diamond Tools, Dust Management, and Cleaning Equipment.

Why UKCA is important?

In 2025, UKCA may become a legal requirement for mandatory marked goods and conformance of high quality for voluntary marked goods in GB. The UKCA label confirms that a product is compliant with the UK regulations, which could differ from EU regulations.

Contractors, purchasing tools, fasteners, installation systems, firestop systems and other products for the GB market need to verify that the product is carrying a mandatory or voluntary UKCA marking from 2025.

Designers, specifying fasteners, installation systems, firestop systems and other products for the GB market need to verify if they specify products that may need to carry a UKCA marking from 2025.

Purchasing / specifying non-compliant goods could lead to unsafe solutions and cause issues with the UK market surveillance.

Which Hilti products will require the UKCA marking?

Hilti Power Tools, Measuring Tools and Scanners, Direct fastening Tools, Diamond Tools, Dust Management, and Cleaning Equipment, covered by harmonized European / designated British standards and regulations, will require mandatory UKCA marking in cases where differences exist between EU and UK regulations governing those products.

Hilti construction products, such as fasteners, firestop and fire protection products, and modular support systems, which are not covered by any harmonized European Standards (hEN) or Designated Standards (dBS) but are regulated by European Assessment Documents (EAD) or European Technical Assessments (ETA), will require a voluntary UKCA marking.

What are the main steps of the UKCA obtainment / implementation for Hilti goods? 

Firstly, we determine the appropriate route for the conformity assessment. If the product requires 3rd party assessment according to UK legislation, we choose an accredited UK-based assessment body. Our experts then prepare and provide the necessary technical documentation. The selected UK TAB verifies the product's performance and compliance with the relevant UK regulations. It issues the UKTA and CCP / CPR certificates, where applicable, and provides the UKCA number. Subsequently, we create the Declaration of Conformity / Declaration of Performance and affix the UKCA marking to our product or its packaging and accompanying documentation.

Alternatively, if the product calls for self-declaration under UK regulations, we internally carry out the conformity assessment procedure specified by the relevant product legislation. We create and maintain technical documentation containing information about the methods used to ensure the product meets the essential requirements. Then, we draft the Declaration of Conformity / Declaration of Performance and affix the UKCA marking to our product or its packaging and accompanying documentation.

What is the status of the UKCA obtainment / implementation for Hilti products? 

Hilti is actively engaged in securing UKCA compliance, aiming to ensure our customers' long-term success by providing safe, high-quality, and regulatory-compliant products.

Hilti Power Tools, Measuring Tools and Scanners, Diamond Tools, Dust Management and Cleaning equipment, Direct Fastening, and Screw Fastening Tools already bear both the CE mark and UKCA mark side by side, visible on the tools' rating plates. Respective Declarations of Conformity can be found in the tools` operational instructions available on hilti.co.uk product pages.

Hilti high-runner Fasteners, Firestop and Fire Protection products have UKTAs (United Kingdom Technical Assessment), UK DoPs (UK declaration of performance) and Certificates of Constancy of Performance (CCP) or Certificates of Conformity of Factory Production Control (FPC). These documents demonstrate compliance with UK regulations, authorizing Hilti to display the UKCA marking. The UKTAs and UK DoPs may be found on the respective product pages on hilti.co.uk.

The status above is valid for December 2023.

Service Levels / IMPACT ON PEOPLE

Will you source alternative products from outside the EU and if so which ones?

There are no plans currently to change source of supply for our products.

Will any of your products have an extended lead time as a result of Brexit and which ones?

We do not expect extended lead times for any products and had already built a supply of safety stock in the UK to protect against delays at UK border.

Does your business employ any EU nationals and if so what impact has Brexit had on staff resourcing?

As a global organisation, Hilti employs people of many nationalities and diversity plays a key part in our strategy.  We continue to employ EU nationals in GB and over the last year have guided our employees on the necessary steps to ensure they retain the legal right to live and work in the UK.  

What logistical adjustments if any have you made/will you make?

We continue to work closely with transport and logistics partners to ensure continued supply to our customers in both UK and Ireland.

DATA PROTECTION

Will the GDPR still apply now that we left the EU? 

In summary, the GDPR was brought into UK law as the ‘UK GDPR’. We had followed these developments closely to ensure we were fully prepared for the end of the transition period. More information on this topic can be found on the Information Commissioner’s Office website at https://ico.org.uk/ .

What will the UK data protection law be?

The Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA 2018), which currently supplements the UK GDPR will continue to apply. More information on this topic can be found on the Information Commissioner’s Office website at https://ico.org.uk/ .

How is Hilti going to protect my data privacy?

Hilti will continue to ensure customer privacy rights are upheld as we always have. You can find information about what we do to protect your personal data and how to exercise your privacy rights on our website.

BREXIT - GOV.UK

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