The letter from Michael Gove, the minister in charge of implementing Brexit, to UK road hauliers this week has increased concerns for trade from the start of next year.

In it, he warned hauliers that there could be up to a two-day delay in getting through the docks in Dover to access the ferry to France.

Road hauliers are frustrated at this prospect and this has been further added to by the logistics that will prevent lorries that aren’t cleared in advance from entering Kent, the county in which the Dover docks are located.

Implications for Irish deliveries to EU

This could have serious implications for Irish hauliers transporting agri food exports to mainland Europe using the UK as a land bridge.

There are hopes that a green lane could be arranged for goods in transit between two areas of the EU, but how this would work in the chaos that would surround two-day shipping delays remains to be seen.

Any delay to the delivery of perishable goods with a limited shelf life devalues the product and therefore risks cutting the value of Irish agri food sales to customers in mainland Europe.

Speaking at the Irish Farmers Journal/LMC webinar on Thursday morning, Michael Haverty of Anderson’s Consulting put the cost of non-tariff barriers at up to £150 per tonne just for administration costs, but he warned that the biggest risk of all was to the delays caused by the inspection process.

Consternation in UK industry

UK industry has reacted very negatively to the prospects of border chaos from 1 January.

The British Meat Processors Association has sarcastically marked the government's performance in preparation for Brexit as a D- and the UK is a net importer of beef.

What is of particular concern is that there will be administrative delays even if there is a last-minute deal agreed, as both the UK and EU have indicated border controls will be in place from 1 January even with a deal in place.

This means that loads will have to be accompanied by customs documentation and health certification, which is part of the administrative cost referred to.