[ad_1]
Moments after the UK left the EU with an 11-hour deal, the first trucks carrying goods across the new customs border presented their clearance documents to French agents before boarding a train to go through the Eurotunnel. .
With Britain finally leaving the single market and the EU customs union, there were no early signs of the feared chaos at the border in the early hours of January 1, 2021.
Ivanov Shumeykov was the first driver to be prosecuted by officials late on New Year’s Eve. He smiled and waved as his truck passed the Eurotunnel checkpoints in Folkestone, Kent, shortly after 11pm. The first arrivals on the ferry from France after the end of the Brexit transition period were expected at around 12:23 AM. M.
The scenes in Dover have been quiet as many carriers have stayed away to avoid being the first to test new border controls.
Cargo flows through the Calais terminal of the Eurotunnel were extremely light in the early hours of Friday morning. Yann Leriche, chief executive of Getlink, which operates the Eurotunnel, told Reuters that adjustments to customs procedures might be necessary, but there would be no chaos in the coming weeks.
But Matt Smith, managing director of HSF Logistics, which mainly ships fresh meat and chilled goods between Britain and Europe, said the new customs systems and post-Brexit paperwork had not been largely tested.
“We are not very sure to be honest, it seems like a headache,” he told AFP. “There will be delays along the line at some point.”
British and European companies have warned of a carnage as they learn to navigate a wall of red tape and paperwork that threatens to disrupt the smooth flow of nearly € 1 trillion in annual trade.
The end of the Brexit transition period still leaves Northern Ireland in the EU’s single market for goods.
Northern Ireland will also enforce the bloc’s customs rules at its ports, although the region is still part of the customs territory of the United Kingdom, to avoid a return from a hard border with the Republic of Ireland.
To avoid disrupting cross-border trade and the return of checkpoints along the politically sensitive Irish border, the EU and UK agreed to move new regulatory and customs processes to the Irish Sea.
That means the controls are focused on trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Many Northern Ireland-based carriers will keep volumes low during the first days of 2021 while they wait to see what the impact will be, according to industry figures.
While the UK formally left the EU at the end of January 2020, a transition period meant that almost all tangible changes were postponed – until now.
Since Friday morning, individuals and businesses, both in the UK and beyond, are faced with a new and dizzying series of red tape, much of it yet to be confirmed, covering everything from travel, residence, work. and tourism, up to the supply of goods and services. .
Considerable government anxiety remains centered on the situation at the English Channel ports in Kent, particularly after Covid-related delays in early December caused thousands of trucks to backtrack at a disused airfield, one of 10 sites prepared for a possible disruption caused by Brexit.
Officials expect a smooth start to the new era, but are prepared for possible delays next week, and government estimates suggest that more than half of smaller businesses have yet to prepare for the end of free movement. of goods and services.
Boris Johnson largely ignored Brexit in his New Years message to focus on the Covid-19 pandemic, announcing the end of a year “in which the government was forced to tell people how to live their lives, how much time to wash hands, how many households could come together ”.
But he said the UK had “freedom in our hands” and the ability to do things “differently and better” now that the long Brexit process was over.
On Thursday night, French President Emmanuel Macron said the UK remained a “friend and ally”.
As the clock struck midnight in the UK, Scotland’s Prime Minister for independence, Nicola Sturgeon, tweeted: “Scotland will be back soon, Europe. Keep the light on. “
Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage, who played a key role in the 2016 Brexit referendum, reveled in the milestone, writing: “25 years ago everyone laughed at me. Well now they are not laughing. “
In a video message, Farage said: “This is a time to celebrate: 2021 as an independent UK. Cheers! “Before leaning towards the camera and saying knowingly,” It’s a shame the pubs aren’t open. “
Thursday night marked the end of many previous freedoms for British individuals and businesses, even to the point of restricting the places where freight drivers can travel within the UK.
To mitigate the backlog of trucks at Channel ports, shippers now need what’s called a Kent access permit, or “kermit” for short, even to enter the county. Starting Friday, those without the 24-hour pass can be detained by government officials, fined £ 300 and returned.
An unresolved issue in the trade deal, agreed between Johnson and the EU on Christmas Eve and approved by parliament on Wednesday, has been partially resolved.
A last minute deal between the UK government and Spain will allow Gibraltarians to move freely between the British overseas territory and the EU, but the deal will only come into effect at the end of the year.
