One of Peter White’s trucks carrying fresh lamb worth $ 136,267 waited at a French port for 44 hours while his documents were removed. However, Ford Motor Co. delivered engines from its British factory in the European Union with few problems.
Britain’s first weeks of doing business outside the EU have been mixed as goods from large companies sail mainly through ports, but many small businesses are struggling with the new post-Brexit rules.
However, the real test of the UK’s new relationship with the EU will come in the next few weeks, say trade experts and companies, as transport volumes increase and the gap between tooth problems and permanent obstacles becomes more apparent at one of the largest trades in the world. the borders.
For the first time in almost half a century, goods moving between the EU and the UK since 1 January have faced customs controls and the need to comply with separate sets of standards and regulations. In an additional complication, goods moving to Northern Ireland – part of the UK – from the rest of the UK face controls, following a compromise to avoid a land border with the Republic of Ireland, which is in the EU.
Large UK food companies have reported only minor disruptions to food imports, while the country’s ports report few problems with container traffic accounting for 60% of UK trade or problems with their other major companies.