By Anthony Reuben
BBC Reality Check
image copyrightReuters
It is a week since the United Kingdom ended its transition period and completed its separation from the European Union.
British companies had to fill out their forms to export to European countries, but we have not yet seen large queues on highways in Kent that some feared.
View from the scene
Simon Jones, BBC News, in Dover
In many ways, it was usually business in the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel. A steady stream of trucks is on board ferries and trains to France.
But the new year also yielded new checks for carriers. Predictions about the timetable in Kent could not materialize, but traffic is still extremely low – probably up to stock in the run-up to Christmas.
As more carriers return to the roads, the new system will undergo stricter testing – especially as Covid testing for anyone wishing to travel to France will take at least a few more weeks.
On Monday morning, the Department of Transportation said only about 1% of the trucks arrived without the correct customs paperwork being sent to Manston for another 3% for testing because they did not have the required Covid result. It has not been updated since.
But on Thursday, the Road Haulage Association (RHA) told BBC News that about one in five trucks was turned away for both reasons.
It is estimated that there were approximately 2,000 trucks per day in each direction crossing the Dover-Calais ferry and passing through the Channel Tunnel, compared to a normal daily figure of between 5,000-6,000.
image copyrightPA MediaJohn Glen, chief economist at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Supply, told BBC News he had heard from the Dover clearance agents working that there was a lack of business preparation and a lack of capacity from customs brokers employing businesses. to help.
It is expected to improve over time, but stakeholders ‘are concerned that demand will increase faster than capacity increases’, he said.
The boss of Sainsbury’s also said that although the flow of goods has so far gone well, the real test would be in a few weeks if there were normal levels of traffic.
John Glen added that many of the problems were before Christmas because ports such as Felixstowe and Southampton were trapped, partly because dock staff were ill. This meant that ships avoided British ports and unloaded containers in Antwerp or Zeebrugge and had to transport them by road, which increased the problems for ports of call such as Dover.
There are reports of other problems in the first week:
- Business leaders said there were
‘significant problems’ with goods going from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. Six trucks on the first ferry arriving in Belfast on January 1 have been delayed due to incomplete paperwork
- While the UK government managed to transfer most trade transactions to third countries, it was a part of the EU that did not include Ghana. It was mentioned in parliament this week that a tariff of £ 17,500 was levied on Portsmouth on a consignment of bananas from Ghana.
- There was confusion over customs declarations on parcels going from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, with some retailers such as John Lewis suspending deliveries. Northern Ireland’s Economy Minister Diane Dodds wrote to the British government as saying “there is significant cause for concern for both businesses and consumers”
- Japanese carmaker Honda has halted production at its Swindon plant and blamed global failures to deliver. It also did so in December due to the congestion of ports
- Parents of children with severe epilepsy said they could no longer get their prescriptions for a specific medicinal cannabis oil from the Netherlands. The health secretary said he was working with the Dutch government to find a solution
- Some specialist online retailers in EU countries have stopped supplying to the UK, saying they would face higher costs and increased bureaucracy to comply with UK tax authorities.
- Trading in shares in companies in the EU countries that previously took place in London has switched to stock exchanges in other European countries
- According to the Federation of Small Businesses, many UK businesses have temporarily suspended EU imports and exports to see how the new bed changes before deciding on the next steps.
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