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The good start to post-Brexit border operations may be the “calm before the storm,” industry bosses warned.
The first day of January marked the first day of a new trade relationship between the UK and the EU.
It was feared that it would create chaotic scenes in ports, with outbound trucks now subject to new customs controls, but the new era arrived without interruption.
However, Stena Line’s port and ferry group has said that it is too early to draw conclusions, as the bank holiday meant border traffic was unusually low.
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Dover calm after the end of Brexit
“This is the quietest time of the year,” Ian Davies, the company’s UK ports director, told Sky News.
“The real test will come when the volume starts to increase.”
The Welsh port of Holyhead normally receives around 9,000 units of cargo per week, but in the run-up to Christmas it was processing 12,500, a combination of festive stockpiling and a rush from shippers to overcome the Brexi deadline.
“A huge amount has been stored on both sides. And that’s in the industry now. That will take a while to seep back into the system. So we think January, overall, will be a quiet month anyway,” he said Davies.
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What will be the economic impact of Brexit?
The government has warned that there will be some disruptions to border traffic as businesses become more familiar with the changes.
All cargo leaving the UK for the EU must now be accompanied by a customs declaration form.
On Friday night, Transportation Secretary Grant Shapps tweeted that “hundreds” of trucks had crossed the canal and a “very small” number had returned.
Six loads of cargo expected to travel from Holyhead to Ireland were rejected for not having the correct documentation, according to Stena Line.
“Hopefully by February it’s back to business as usual,” said Charles Hogg, commercial director at Unsworth Global Logistics, a UK-based customs broker.
“However, many of these unprepared importers will be fined, have longer wait times for trucks, and have many additional costs.”
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