Dutch customs will definitely be busier from January 1st despite the trade agreement that the European Union and the United Kingdom have reached. Dutch exporters and travelers also have to take this into account, customs warns.
Although London and Brussels have not imposed import tariffs on their mutual exports, goods and cargo shipments will have to be inspected at the border. Great Britain is no longer part of the EU single market.
“The most important thing for us is that we will have customs formalities that were not there before. Companies must therefore prepare for this,” says a spokesman. Transport companies must pre-register their cargo in a digital system of the Port of Rotterdam before they can make the crossing by ferry.
In the past two years, Dutch customs has hired around nine hundred new employees to handle all the extra work. Earlier, customs indicated it expected delays in the Port of Rotterdam during the first four to six weeks as a result of Brexit.
Schiphol reports that one of the major concerns for the airport was removed several years ago. Even after Brexit, travelers from the United Kingdom transferring at the Dutch airport do not need to pass customs control again for their connecting flight.
The French Secretary of State for European Affairs says that France will closely monitor whether British goods entering the country comply with European requirements. He calls these checks “essential.” Almost three-quarters of British exports to the EU pass through France. For the checks, France has hired 1,300 customs officers and veterinary inspectors.
The agreements made will likely take effect from January 1st pending approval by the British and European Parliaments. However, this requires the consent of the 27 EU member states. Ambassadors in Brussels met on Friday morning, Christmas Day, to examine the deal and prepare as much groundwork as possible for the responsible ministers.