Calais crisis: freight costs could rise 'significantly'

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The costs of running trucks on both the Channel Tunnel and the cross-Channel ferries are almost certain to increase if the present situation continues. Weekend newspapers in the UK reported that the nightly attempts by immigrants to enter the Tunnel were down to below 200 per night – as if that were some sort of achievement. It remains a toxic choke point for drivers, who are now said to be “resigning from the route due to the stress of getting through the port, and the risk of fines because of stowaways”, and companies are urging importers and exporters to explore alternative gateways in the same way that US shippers are looking for alternatives to the country’s Pacific ports.