UK Brexit border delays "likely to worsen" in January - report

"While the assumption is that the risk of long queues and a constraint to flow caused by unready HGVs (Heavy Goods Vehicles) would diminish in the first three months, the actual flow of goods would depend on the length of time it takes those exporting/importing businesses that were not ready on 1 January to get ready for new requirements."

Delays at Britain's port of Dover after the United Kingdom leaves the European Union at the end of year are likely to worsen during January but could lessen in the first three months of the year, a British government report said on Wednesday. The Reasonable Worst Case Scenario for borders report said there could be queues of up to 7,000 trucks in southeast England because some vehicles will not have the correct post-Brexit documentation.

"Disruption could be lower in the initial days of January but we would expect sustained disruption to worsen over the first two weeks as freight demand builds," the report said. "While the assumption is that the risk of long queues and a constraint to flow caused by unready HGVs (Heavy Goods Vehicles) would diminish in the first three months, the actual flow of goods would depend on the length of time it takes those exporting/importing businesses that were not ready on 1 January to get ready for new requirements."