More than 30 British organizations, representing the organic sector, the meat processing industry, and agricultural unions, have expressed their deep concerns about the future in an urgent letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, should no trade agreement between Great Britain and the European Union be reached in the short term.
The meat industry, organic food exporters, and farmers warn of a disastrous situation for British agricultural products that risk losing their access to the European Union.
Furthermore, British transport companies have said that freight transport will face enormous traffic jams of 7000 trucks at the Dover to Calais ferries, because every shipment will need to be inspected. Possibly, trucks will have to wait in separate mega parking areas elsewhere in England for EU permits. Importers of fresh goods fear waiting times of two days.
There are other problems that would arise if no trade deal is struck, such as the requirement for carriers to obtain special permits from the Department for Transport. Sources from the British industry have suggested the possibility that the UK would need to comply with EU rules limiting driving times in order to gain access to EU roads, reports the BBC.
The British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) recently warned that 'blatant weaknesses' in British export plans endanger billions in annual meat exports, along with thousands of jobs. In a strongly worded statement, the British meat industry said it has 'lost patience' with the government and calls on it to resolve outstanding issues before it is too late.
BMPA chief Nick Allen said: “After months of meetings and discussions with the government, the British meat industry, along with other sectors dependent on overseas trade, has lost its patience and we publicly urge the government to quickly resolve these problems before it is too late.
“With less than four months to go, Great Britain has a woeful lack of infrastructure and staff to operate the new export system. If this is not addressed, it will result in massive delays, extra costs, and canceled orders.”
Global sales of British organic products are nearing £100 billion, and the UK is the world's ninth largest organic market. Unless equal organic standards are included in a new customs agreement, the UK will have no significant trade with EU countries by the end of this year.
In theory, the British government can still ask the EU to extend the current 'transition period' by several months to first reach a full customs and trade agreement. Previously, Johnson said he could strike favorable trade deals with Australia, Japan, and the United States, but that has not been achieved yet.