The start of physical checks on all inbound products from the EU this summer will make delays and gridlocked roads ten times worse than they are already, according to logistics provider PML.
MD Mike Parr said he was “dreading” the commencement of checks on products such as live animals, meat products and high-risk non-animal foods on 1 July, because the government’s handling of imports and exports had already been shambolic.
He said miles of queuing HGV traffic on the approach to Dover port had already become the norm and he accused the government of failing to understand the resources required to handle the vast number of checks starting in just a few months.
Parr spoke out after Logistics UK raised concerns that the government was not providing details about how the planned border control posts would work and that operational changes must not be delivered at the last minute.
The public accounts committee (PAC) also expressed reservations about the government overpromising, rather than being honest about the problems.
Parr said: “There’s a lot worse to come and I don’t think anybody realises this.
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“Everything that I’ve predicted to date has come true. We warned there would be delays, which there have been.
“But I’m dreading the point at which EU products start to be examined, because right now there are already insufficient staff available.
“How are inspectors going to cope with the extra workload associated with examining every single meat, fish, dairy product from the EU on top of their existing responsibilities?”
Following the publication of the PAC’s report, a government spokesman said traders had adapted well to the introduction of full customs controls and added that there was “minimal disruption at the border and inbound freight flowing effectively through ports.
“We are continuing to ensure that businesses get the support they need to trade effectively with Europe and seize new opportunities as we strike trade deals with the world’s fastest growing markets, including one-to-one advice through the free-to-use export support service,” the spokesman added.
