Brexit: Covid-19 isolation gives Britain a taste of chaos without agreement

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Dozens of countries in Europe and around the world have stopped flights from the UK, and the French government has announced a 48-hour ban on trucks using ferries and railways from England to France after a potentially highly infectious coronavirus mutation was accused of Closing Christmas in London and surrounding areas.

UK supermarkets and supply chain experts have warned of potential product shortcomings if French restrictions are not eased soon. The British government held a crisis meeting on Monday.
A major supermarket chain, Sainsbury’s (JSAIY), said it had stored enough products to prevent the British from going without Christmas meals, but warned of a lack of fresh fruit and vegetables if the situation did not improve soon.

“If nothing changes, we will start to see gaps in the coming days on lettuce, lettuce, cauliflower, broccoli, citrus – all of which are imported from the EU at this time of year,” Sainsbury’s said in a statement. . “We are hoping for the UK and France [governments] can reach a solution that prioritizes the immediate passage of products and food. “

January could be difficult

The industry that operates frozen and refrigerated storage facilities and temperature-controlled vehicles has said there is no reason to panic buyers, given that the UK food supply chain has been well stocked for the peak holiday season. .

“As we learned in March, the biggest cause of products running out on the shelves will be unnecessary and excessive buying,” said Shane Brennan, the Federation’s executive director for the cold chain. “We urge everyone to play their part and buy only what they really need.”

But “urgent agreements” were needed between the UK and EU governments if problems were to be avoided in the new year. “An extended period of stopped movement now will cause significant supply chain problems in January,” Brennan added.

This sentiment was echoed by the British Retail Consortium, which represents more than 170 large retailers plus thousands of smaller companies.

“Retailers stocked up on goods before Christmas, which should prevent immediate problems,” said Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium. “However, any prolonged closure of the French border would be a problem as Britain enters the last weeks before [Brexit] the transition is over [Dec. 31]. “

The Brexit factor

UK ports were already under serious strain before the new coronavirus variant caused chaos at the border.

The United Kingdom left the European Union earlier this year, but continued to enjoy free trade with the EU market of 450 million people under transitional arrangements expiring on 31 December. A new agreement is being discussed to avoid tariffs and quotas for about half of British shares. foreign trade remained blocked over the weekend and the risk of Brexit ending without a trade agreement remains high.

Storage before the end of the Brexit transition period and an increase in orders during the Christmas holiday have created huge giants in recent days. Last week, CNN reporters witnessed trucks backing up more than 10 miles near Dover Harbor, with truckers reporting several hours of waiting.

Dover accounts for about 17% of the UK’s trade in goods. It managed 2.4 million trucks in 2019 and another 1.6 million passed through the nearby Eurotunnel under the Canal.

The trucks parked near Folkestone, Kent after the closure of the port of Dover and access to the Eurotunnel terminal was suspended following the French government's announcement that it would not accept passengers arriving from the UK within the next 48 hours.

Businesses are increasingly concerned that a Brexit deal will not materialize and have struggled to bring goods into the country before the end of the year. New customs controls and documents will result in significant transport delays, while tariffs and quotas would accumulate on pain in a “no agreement” scenario.

Earlier this month, Honda was forced to stop production at a major factory in England because parts deliveries were delayed, a sign of how quickly supply chain problems can disrupt. Honda said on Monday that it is monitoring the situation in British ports, adding that it does not currently anticipate any impact on production.

France said on Monday it wanted a new European-level health protocol to allow cross-border traffic to resume, while British traders called for truck drivers to be tested for Covid-19 to restore confidence. Experts warn of major problems if the situation is not resolved soon.

“We have our drivers who do not want to go to the UK because of the fear of not being able to return, because the borders are closed,” said Vanessa Ibarlucea, a spokeswoman for the French National Road Transport Federation. “It will cause a problem with the flows that could stop and therefore cause the supply to dry up across the Canal before Brexit Day.”

– Robert North, Hanna Ziady, Fanny Bobille, Fanny Wang and Stephanie Halasz contributed to the reporting.

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