Delays at Calais hit pork exports as new Brexit controls start to bite

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Delays in checking products at Calais are already causing problems for pork exports, according to the NPA.  

The NPA has reported that, while there currently appear to be no significant issues on the Dover side, pork exporters are now experiencing delays at Calais because of lengthy vet checks introduced at the start of this year following the UK’s formal exit from the EU Single Market and Customs Union.

The delays are impacting on the product’s shelf life and therefore the value of trade, as customers in the EU react, NPA chief executive Zoe Davies said. This is posing a threat to the trade and there are concerns that the situation will worsen as freight volumes return to normal levels after the quiet start to 2021, she said.

On Friday (Jan 8), the BBC reported that the new border controls were already creating problems for exporters and traders.

Shane Brennan, chief executive of the Cold Chain Federation, which represents chilled transport and storage companies, said there was a ‘growing problem and sense of unease’ among its members as problems have emerged, despite the amount of cross border traffic still being quite low.

“Trade flows are still only about 50% of what we would expect, but even at those levels we are seeing levels of confusion and delays,” he told the BBC’s Today programme. “The feeling is we are building to quite a significant potential disruption.”

 

BY ALISTAIR DRIVER 

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