Empty lorries leaving UK may skip checks to ease hold-ups

EMPTY lorries leaving Britain would no longer be delayed by checks under plans being discussed by officials to ditch Brussels’ rules.

HM Revenue and Customs could change the way vacant trucks are processed from the start of July, easing the administrative burden at the border, according to the news website Politico.

As Britain imports more goods than it exports, allowing empty lorries to proceed without checks could reduce delays and let drivers return more rapidly to depots on the Continent, to pick up more goods to bring back to the UK.

Rod Mckenzie, at the Road Haulage Association, praised the idea. “Anything that reduces friction at the UK borders is a good thing,” he said.

“What hauliers and customers want is the free flow of goods in and out of the country, so any unnecessary red tape that can be stripped away is welcome.”

Last year the UK imported more than £476bn of goods and exported £320bn.

An HMRC spokesman said: “We are always open to considering new ways to reduce burdens for traders and ease the flow of trade at the border.

“Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, and the recent rise in global energy costs, have had a significant effect on supply chains that are still recovering from the pandemic.”