Brexit, virus strain boost freight charges

The cost of moving freight from France to the U.K. surged to more than four times the usual level last week after Brexit and a virulent new strain of the coronavirus complicated supply chains.

The spot rate for last-minute shipments across the English Channel reached more than $4.56 a mile for a full truckload in the final week of 2020. That’s up from an average of 1.50 euros to 3 euros, with some isolated cases of firms charging 10 euros per kilometer, according to data from the global logistics platform Transporeon.

The figures reflect the moment of maximum chaos at British ports, when the French government shut the border to contain a new strain of COVID-19. Thousands of trucks piled up on both sides of the English Channel, and more shippers rejected cargoes to avoid getting trapped in transit over the holiday break.

Four days into the new year, the long lines of trucks at the border have largely dissipated after France relaxed its controls. The freight rejection rate ticked down in the last week but remains 79 percent higher than the third-quarter average.

Truckers say the current lack of chaos at Britain’s key ports could mask the risk of logjams returning later this month as both countries adapt to new trading arrangement after Britain’s exit from the European Union.