LONDON – It does not take long for the customs officer to find the smuggled goods in the car he has just pulled over. Not guns, drugs or people smuggled across the border – but a ham sandwich wrapped in tin foil.
“Welcome to Brexit, sir, I’m sorry!” says the sociable Dutch border officer with a laugh as he seizes the illegal snack.
The footage broadcast by the Dutch TV network NPO 1 may seem far-fetched. But the official merely acted on new rules that came into force after the UK stopped using European Union regulations after Brexit on 1 January.
Prior to Brexit, the UK was part of the EU’s internal market ‘, enabling people, goods, services and money to travel freely across the continent with little or no checks.
In December, the two parties reached a new trade agreement to replace their old partnership, and it went into effect earlier this year. Since then, businesses and travelers are waking up to the reality that the new system could have the potential for serious disruption.
The driver in the video traveled from the United Kingdom to the Netherlands – which is still one of the 27 EU countries.
The driver seems to be surprised when his lunch is shot – “can I not just take out the meat and leave the bread behind?” he asks in disbelief – but the new rules are clear. British government guidelines warn people not to carry ‘products of animal origin’ such as meat or dairy products, such as ham and cheese sandwiches, in their personal luggage.
This is because the EU is concerned that anything imported from the newly departed UK – which now follows various regulations – could ‘pose a real threat to animal health.’
This is not an isolated incident. The Dutch customs agency posted on Facebook a photo on which a stack of food, with a carton of orange juice, grain and a box of oranges, was confiscated on which drivers arrive at the ferry port in the city of Hook of Holland.
But while travelers taking their lunches can be annoying, the real consequences of Brexit are felt by businesses.
In the long run, the Office of Budgetary Responsibility, a watchdog of the government, says the deal negotiated by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will weaken the British economy by 4 per cent compared to if he stayed in the EU.
Already, companies say that confusion through new border controls causes barriers and goods not to arrive at their destination. Scottish salmon producer John Ross Jr. wrote in an open letter that “it feels like our own government has thrown us into the cold Atlantic waters without a life jacket.”
Brexit has also caused disruption in the UK itself. Extra paperwork means delays and empty supermarket shelves in Northern Ireland, which are part of the UK but are treated differently in terms of trade under the new post-Brexit agreement.
Some UK online retailers have said they can no longer transport to Northern Ireland even though it is all part of the same country.
Cabinet Secretary Michael Gove told Sky News last week that ‘significant additional disruption’ is expected in the coming weeks, and that the government ‘should redouble our efforts to communicate the exact paperwork needed. ‘
