Dozens of countries in Europe and the world have suspended flights to the United Kingdom, and the French government announced a 48-hour ban on trucks using ferry and rail routes from England to France after they were found guilty of potentially highly contagious coronavirus mutations. Christmas lockdown in London and surrounding areas.
“If nothing changes, we will begin to see gaps in the coming years – lettuce, lettuce, cauliflower, broccoli, citrus fruit – all imported from the EU at this time of year,” Sainsbury said in a statement. . ”We hope the UK and the French [governments] A compromise can be reached by prioritizing the immediate passage of the remedy and food. “
Prime Minister Boris Johnson told a news conference on Monday that he had spoken to French President Emmanuel Macron and that both sides were working towards a speedy resolution.
He emphasized that the British supermarket supply chain was “strong and robust” and that “most supplies of food and medicine are coming and going normally.”
The UK’s food supply chain stocks well for the holiday season, with industries operating stable and cooling-filled storage facilities and temperature-controlled vehicles.
“As we learned in March, the biggest reason for products to run on shelves would be unnecessary and excessive purchases,” said Shane Brennan, chief executive of the Cold Chain Federation. “We urge everyone to do their part and only buy what they really need.”
January can be bad
An “urgent agreement” between the United Kingdom and EU governments was needed if problems were to be avoided in the new year. “The extra period of now stalled movement will cause significant trouble for the supply chain in January,” Brennan added.
That sentiment was echoed by the British Retail Consortium, which represents thousands of small businesses in addition to more than 170 large retailers.
“Retailers stocked up on goods before Christmas, which should prevent immediate problems,” said Andrew OP, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium. “However, any prolonged closure at the French border will be a problem as the UK enters the UK before the final week. [Brexit] The transition is over [Dec. 31]”
UK ports were under severe strain even before the new coronavirus variant spread chaos at the border.
The United Kingdom left the European Union earlier this year, but is enjoying free trade with an EU market of 450 million people under a transitional arrangement ending December 31. Foreign trade was deadlocked over the weekend over talks on a new agreement to avoid tariffs and quotas on half of Britain, and the risk of ending without a Brexit trade deal is high.
Dover accounts for about 17% of the UK’s goods trade. In 2019 it operated 2.4 million trucks, and another 1.6 million passed through nearby Eurotunnels under the channel.
Businesses are increasingly worried that the Brexit deal will not be completed and they are rushing to get goods into the country before the end of the year. New custom inspections and paperwork will result in significant delays in shipments, while tariffs and quotas will deal with pain in the “no deal” scenario.
Toyota closes the plant
The company has blamed the UK’s traffic restrictions on a growing number of countries and “uncertainty over how long borders will remain closed for logistical activities”.
France said on Monday it wanted a new European-wide health protocol that would allow the resumption of cross-border traffic, while British traders were calling for truck drivers to be tested for the Covid-19 to restore confidence.
“We have our drivers who do not want to go to the UK for fear of being able to return because the borders are closed,” said Vanessa Iberlusia, a spokeswoman for the French National Road Houlage Federation. “It will raise flow issues that are likely to close, and therefore cause the supply to dry up in the channel before Brexit Day.”
– Robert North, Pamela Boykoff, Hannah Ziadi, Sara Dean, Fanny Bobil, Fanny Wang and Stephanie Halaz contributed to the reporting.
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