Trucks queue for 20 MILES at Dover after crisis at UK’s container ports and No Deal Brexit stockpiling
TRUCKS carrying Christmas gifts and food have stacked up in a 20-mile-long queue towards Dover amid chaos at container ports and No Deal Brexit stockpiling.
Thousands of HGVs have been delayed on the M20 in Kent today with miles of queues in France sparking fears presents won’t arrive on time.
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Lorries are struggling to get through Britain’s ports due to a lack of certainty over a Brexit deal, which is also seeing companies stockpiling goods on both sides of the Channel.
The Christmas rush to get goods delivered and problems at container ports in Britain caused by the Covid pandemic is also having a knock-on effect.
Today trucks are stationary in miles of queues in Kent, while across the Channel in France lorries line dual carriageways for miles waiting for transport over to the UK.
Retailers have said they still don’t have orders made in August following delays caused by Covid-19 in China and problems with unloading in Britain.
They say it has lead to containers being abandoned in Zeebrugge, Belgium and some have called on the Government to “save the festive season” by stepping in.
Thousands of HGVs have been pouring through Dover as the clock ticks down towards the end of the Brexit transition period.
But with just two weeks to go until 2021, the lack of a trade deal between the UK and EU is causing a headache for businesses.
Trade talks between Britain and the EU are on the brink of collapsing after Boris Johnson warned the nation to get ready for No Deal.
Shipments have been delayed by Covid and quadrupled in price, with the cost of getting a container from China to the UK now at £7,500-a-load.
GIFT DELAYS
The Covid pandemic has seen a lack of shipping containers, which transport the goods around the world.
This is after economies shut down and reopened at different times, meaning shipping firms fell behind on returning empty containers back to Asian factories.
Port of Dover chief executive Doug Bannister also warned there is “significant uncertainty” around how prepared companies are for a No Deal Brexit.
He said: “We are a fortnight away from this momentous transition and so everything is going to come right down to the wire.
“We are going through a really busy period of time right now with the Brexit stockpiling, the diversion of cargo from other ports coming in through our gateway, it is a really important period of time.
“Over the past couple of weeks we’ve been seeing increases of typically between 20 and 25 per cent over this time last year – but we have topped up some bigger numbers, yesterday we approached nearly 40 per cent.”
Much of the spike in traffic stems from businesses getting in goods before Christmas, as well as Brexit stockpiling.
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This increased volume ahead of December 31 may mean that the first weeks of 2021 may be calmer, Mr Bannister said.
“My hope is it allows traders and the hauliers and everyone to become accustomed with the new processes, so that when the volume begins to return again later in the month and into February, that we’ll have a higher proportion of people that can operate in this post-transition period environment.”
Lorries without the proper paperwork could face being turned away from the border from January 1.