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Home News Outraged UK freight industry hits back at Government

Outraged UK freight industry hits back at Government

Hauliers, freight forwarders and shippers in the United Kingdom (UK) are today, 24 September, baffled by the leaked ministerial letter that appeared in the British press on 23 September, with some claiming that it is a precursor to the Government shifting blame for excessive queues at UK borders after the European Union (EU) transition period expires on 1 January.

A letter from the Cabinet Office in which the Cabinet Minister Michael Gove warns industry that, “In its reasonable worst-case scenario, there may be maximum queues of 7,000 port bound trucks in Kent and associated maximum delays of up to two days,” he added “Both imports and exports could be disrupted to a similar extent,” reported the BBC.

UK Government cabinet minister Michael Gove is accused of attempting to shift blame for the upcoming delays at UK ports following the end of the transition period which will see the end of EU regulations governing UK freight and borders.

An angry British International Freight Association (BIFA) director general, Robert Keen complained, “According to the media coverage, Mr Gove says it is essential that traders act now and get ready for new formalities. BIFA says give our members all the information they need, the resources they require and systems that actually work, and they will be more than able to do what is necessary. But don’t start pointing the finger of blame in our direction when you have still to provide all of the tools to do the job.”

According to BIFA, which represents the companies responsible for managing the UK’s visible trade, the leaked letter epitomises, “The Government’s use of the Carwyn James approach to business. Carwyn James was a successful Welsh rugby coach who believed that attack was the best form of defence.”

“With just over 14 weeks to go before the end of the Brexit Transition Period, traders and logistics providers are still waiting for so much information and clarity from the government and are shocked by the lack of consistency in Government policy, systems planning and procedures.”

Outlining some of those frustrations Keen offered a list of just some of the outstanding issues to Container News:

  • Smartfreight – the system is still in design phase; although Gove has told Parliament that both this and the Goods Vehicle Management System (GVMS) are in operation and they are being refined with business.
  • GVMS – we have seen models of how it will work, but as yet there is no operational system that BIFA is aware of.
  • Information regarding the fall-back position for “Office of Transit”, if GVMS is not operational on 1 January 2021, is still not available.
  • Deferred Declaration – BIFA has put over 20 questions to Government about how this links to existing Customs Freight Simplified Procedures (CFSP) authorisation holders who are disadvantaged by certain aspects of the former, but are still awaiting reply
  • How will the messaging work for Movements and Temporary Storage? – Will we continue to be able to use simplified procedures or move to the full and complex data set requirements?
  • Lack of clarity and consistency in Government policy and procedures – take “deferred declaration” basically the Border Operating Model stated that customs agents would be able to prepare the declaration “without the intermediary becoming jointly liable”  Last week the industry was advised that this would be only applicable where the importer held their own deferment account – this may seem a small point to many but has significant impacts.

Other issues also remain outstanding, many technical in nature, without any response from government on how they will be resolved.

“The Government has received repeated warnings from all sides of the supply chain that neither businesses involved in trade between the EU and the UK, nor the freight and logistics sector that physically handles and manages that trade, is ready for the new procedures that will be in place from 1 January 2021.”

BIFA believes the UK Government is trying to deflect the blame for its failure to implement a comprehensive plan for the logistics industry as the end of the transition period comes to an end.

“Getting their retaliation in first worked for Carwyn James’ British & Irish Lions in South Africa in 1974, but Government making villains of the key workers who have been tackling the impact of the pandemic on the UK’s supply chains, will not have the same success,” said Keen.

On 17 September the BBC reported on a failed meeting between truck drivers’ representatives and the Government. The BBC said, “The Road Haulage Association has described its meeting with Michael Gove about post-Brexit arrangements as ‘a washout’. The body said there had been ‘no clarity’ from the senior minister on how border checks will operate when the transition period ends after December.”

Nick Savvides
Managing Editor





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