One of Peter White’s trucks worth $ 136,267 worth of fresh lamb waited 44 hours in a French port while the paperwork was handled. Still, Ford Motor Co. shipped engines from its British factory to the European Union without any problems.
Britain’s first weeks of doing business outside the EU were mixed, as goods from large companies mainly pass through ports, but many small businesses are struggling with the new post-Brexit rules.
Still, the real test of the UK’s new relationship with the EU will come in the coming weeks, trade experts and companies say, as shipping volume grows and the difference between teething troubles and permanent hurdles becomes more apparent at one of the world’s largest retailers. boundaries.
For the first time in almost half a century, goods moving between the EU and the UK from January 1 have faced customs controls and the need to comply with separate sets of standards and regulations. An added complication is that goods being transported from the rest of Great Britain to Northern Ireland – part of the UK – are controlled, following a compromise to establish a land border with the Republic of Ireland, which is located in the EU. to avoid.
Britain’s major grocers have noticed only minor disruptions to food imports, while the country’s ports report few problems with container traffic which makes up 60% of UK trade or problems with their other large businesses.