UK ports couldn't handle even ‘minutes’ of Customs checks, post-Brexit

© Lowerkase

As many in the industry already suspected, “Britain’s ports would grind to a halt after Brexit if lorries had to spend just ‘minutes’ undergoing customs checks”. So said Philip Hammond, UK chancellor. He was talking specifically about Dover, where he compared roll-on roll-off ferry schedules to Ryanair tight turnarounds, and noted that there simply wasn’t sufficient capacity for delays caused by customs checks. He added that “we have had less engagement than we would like with our customs counterparts” – and that the contingency plan the Treasury was forming was less than ideal. The Brexit drama continues…