Slow, quiet start to Brexit
A steady trickle of trucks rolled off ferries and trains on both sides of the English Channel yesterday, a quiet New Year’s Day after a seismic overnight shift in relations between the European Union and the United Kingdom.
The busy goods route between southeast England and northwest France is on the front line of changes now that the UK has fully left the economic embrace of the 27-nation bloc, the final stage of Brexit.
‘‘ For the majority of trucks, they won’t even notice the difference,’’ said John Keefe, spokesman for Eurotunnel, which carries vehicles under the channel. ‘‘There was always the risk that if this happened at a busy time, then we could run into some difficulties, but it’s happening overnight on a bank holiday and a long weekend.’’
Brexit, which had dominated public debate in Britain for years, was even pushed off some newspaper front pages by news of the huge vaccination effort against Covid-19, which is surging across the country.
In seaside Folkestone, at the English end of the Channel Tunnel, retired bank manager David Binks said he was relieved that the tortuous Brexit saga was – just possibly – over. ‘‘The time is now, I think, that we move on.’’
The trade agreement, sealed on Christmas Eve after months of tense negotiations, ensures that the two sides can continue to buy and sell goods without tariffs or quotas. But companies face sheaves of new costs and paperwork, including customs declarations and border checks. The English port of Dover and the Eurotunnel braced for delays as the new measures were introduced.
The vital supply route was snarled after France closed its
border to British truckers for 48 hours during Christmas week in response to a fast-spreading variant of the virus identified in England. Some 15,000 truckers needed emergency virus tests just to get into France, a process that left many stuck in their trucks for days.
But the pandemic and a holiday weekend meant crosschannel traffic was light yesterday. Britain has also delayed imposing full customs checks for several months, so that companies can adjust.
In the French port of Calais, officials said the new computer systems were working well and truckers had the right paperwork. However, Jean Marc Thillier, director of customs for the region, warned that the border faced a ‘‘ trial by fire’’ when
traffic picked up after the holiday weekend.
Brexit has also brought new checks across the Irish Sea. A dozen trucks rolled off the first ferry to arrive at Dublin Port from Wales before dawn, clearing the new customs inspections without delays.
Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said trade would change ‘‘fundamentally’’.
‘‘We’re now going to see the €80 billion ( NZ$136b) worth of trade across the Irish Sea between Britain and Ireland disrupted by an awful lot more checks and declarations, and bureaucracy and paperwork, and cost and delay.’’
Hundreds of millions of people in Britain and the bloc also face changes to their daily lives, with new rules for work visas, travel
insurance and pet paperwork.
And years of discussion and argument lie ahead, over everything from fair competition to fish quotas, as Britain and the EU settle into their new relationship as friends, neighbours and rivals.
Northern Ireland, which shares a border with EU member Ireland, remains closely tied to the bloc’s economy under the divorce terms. So while goods will continue to flow freely across the Irish land border, there are new checks between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.
In Scotland, which voted in 2016 to remain in the EU, Brexit has bolstered support for separation from the UK. Pro-independence First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted: ‘‘Scotland will be back soon, Europe. Keep the light on.’’