BPA: Despite this deal the UK is definitely leaving the EU’s Customs Union and Single Market which means major changes for cross border trade
Responding to the news that the EU and the UK had reached an outline agreement on a future post Brexit deal the British Ports Association has welcomed the continued tariff free trade but suggested that there will still be major impacts at the end of the transition.
Commenting the British Ports Association Chief Executive Richard Ballantyne said:
"The prospect of continued tariff free trade with the EU and other market access arrangements is certainly something most in the freight and logistics industries will welcome. It looks as if our agricultural and automotive trade with the EU can continue without being subject to the high tariffs that could have been introduced. It also means that the fish we land will be able to exported its biggest market."
"However despite this deal the UK is definitely leaving the EU’s Customs Union and Single Market which means major changes for cross border trade. Goods being transported between Great Britain and the EU, including Northern Ireland, will be subject to a number of new controls and requirements and there is no escaping the increase in costs that this will create for UK traders, businesses and potentially consumers. As our new trading relationship starts to bed down we are hopeful that an ongoing reciprocal acceptance of each other’s standards might mean a reduced need for inspections and interventions at ports and borders."
The British Ports Association is the national association for ports and harbours which represents ports that facilitate 86% of port traffic including all the main ferry port gateway. The British Ports Association represents the interests of over 100 port members, covering more than 400 ports, terminal operators and port facilities. The UK ports industry plays a key role in the country’s economy as 95% of the UK’s international trade – imports and exports – is carried through British ports. UK ports also handle more than 60 million international and domestic passenger journeys each year. The UK port industry is the second largest in Europe, handling around 500 million tonnes of freight each year.
UK ports directly employ around 115,000 people.