By Maytaal Angel
LONDON, Jan 18 (Reuters) - The British meat industry warned
on Monday of looming border chaos as post-Brexit customs checks
between Britain and the European Union (EU) halt some
cross-border meat flows even with volumes sharply reduced.
In an attempt to ease into the new customs checks, British
meat companies have cut trade volumes with the EU and Northern
Ireland to about 20% for the first two weeks of January, the
British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) said.
Even so, there have been "catastrophic delays", said the
group. It warned of worse to come as meat firms, together with a
flood of other industries, are due to start ramping up exports
from this week onwards.
"The current paper-based customs and certifications system
is a relic. It was never designed to cope with (an) integrated,
just-in-time supply chain," said Nick Allen, head of the BMPA.
Under a deal reached last month, British trade with the EU
remains free of tariffs and quotas on goods, but exporters,
especially fresh produce sellers, say their businesses are still
threatened by delays caused by customs checks.
The BMPA said meat exporters have had consignments returned
undelivered and that European customers are already turning away
from UK suppliers.
Moreover, some of Britain's largest hauliers have ceased
taking 'grouped loads' or consignments of mixed products, the
BMPA said. About 40% of British meat trade with the EU is sent
in this manner.
(Reporting by Maytaal Angel;
Editing by Bernadette Baum)