One of Peter White’s trucks carrying $ 136,267 in fresh lamb waited at a French port for 44 hours while his paperwork was released. Still, Ford Motor Co. shipped engines from its British factory to the European Union with few problems.
Britain’s first few weeks of doing business outside the EU were confusing, as the products of large companies mainly navigate ports, but many small companies struggle with the new post-Brexit rules.
Still, the real test of the UK’s new relationship with the EU will come in the coming weeks, trade and business experts say, as shipment volumes increase and the difference between initial problems and permanent obstacles becomes more apparent in a of the world’s largest business borders.
For the first time in almost half a century, goods moving between the EU and the United Kingdom since January 1 have faced customs controls and the need to meet separate sets of standards and regulations. In an extra complication, goods moving to Northern Ireland – part of the United Kingdom – from the rest of Britain face controls, following an agreement to avoid a land border with the Republic of Ireland, which is in the EU.
Large British grocery stores have signaled only minor disruptions in food imports, while the country’s ports report few problems with container traffic, which accounts for 60% of UK trade, or problems with their other major businesses.