Saturday, January 09, 2021
Border chaos on the British island
First logisticians stop EU deliveries
The new EU import conditions are causing frustration on the British Isles. The logistics company DPD currently has to send every fifth parcel back to the sender because the necessary papers are missing. According to the British government, there is no improvement in sight for the time being.
A growing number of logistics companies have scaled back or stopped delivering from the UK to the EU. The background is new border controls and import taxes, reports the Guardian. The well-known courier service DPD announced on its website that it would "pause" its road deliveries from the British Isles to Europe. This also applies to deliveries from Northern Ireland to Ireland.
According to DPD, the new import conditions for parcels significantly delay delivery times if they can be delivered at all: Every fifth parcel currently has to be returned to the sender because the required papers are incorrect or incomplete, the company explained. Delays in British ports caused by long traffic jams are also problematic. Accordingly, DPD wants to deliver to mainland Europe again from Wednesday.
However, there is no improvement in sight for the time being. UK Secretary of State for Cabinet Affairs Michael Gove said he expected further delays at the borders due to the new import conditions. The route from Dover in England to Calais in France will be particularly affected, he said on British television. The government must "double its communication efforts" so that every company knows which papers are necessary for smooth trading.
Customs duties, although duty free
Great Britain had left the EU internal market at the turn of the year after a transition period of eleven months and thus finally sealed Brexit. On January 1, the post-Brexit agreement came into force, which regulates numerous trade and customs issues. Groceries and clothing are still considered duty-free, but there are numerous exceptions. Textile traders have great difficulties because their goods are often manufactured in Asia. According to the trade pact agreed on Christmas Eve, customs duties are now levied on clothes and accessories if they are shipped from Great Britain to the European Union but are manufactured in Bangladesh or Cambodia. Only goods that have been processed or refined in the UK can be imported duty-free. The rules for this are complex and differ from product group to product group.
The grocery trade in Northern Ireland is also struggling with the changes. "People here complain about empty shelves in the supermarkets," said Northern Irish conflict researcher and Brexit expert Katy Hayward from Queen's University Belfast. Supply chains are disrupted, especially with fresh products. Companies are unsure which forms are required for import.
In order not to jeopardize peace and border traffic between Ireland and Northern Ireland on the Irish island, the trade rules of the EU still apply to goods traffic with Northern Ireland despite Brexit. Which papers are necessary, however, was only published shortly before the turn of the year.
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