Dutch exporters of fruits and vegetables fear that their goods will rot if the Brexit deal is not struck. For now, many truck drivers are already stuck outside the port of Dover, and in the event of a no-deal Brexit, those lines could be lengthy.
The Netherlands exports nearly € 2 billion of fruits and vegetables to the UK every year. If the Brexit deal is not struck, fresh goods at the border will have to undergo time-consuming customs controls. This can cause a lot of delay.
“If our trucks have to wait in those lines, it’s a disaster for our fresh produce,” says logistics director Daco Sol of GroentenFruit Huis. “The delay lowers the price of our products. Every customer wants fresh products.”
There are also concerns about fresh produce in the UK. Although the border between the UK and France has reopened to freight traffic, the long delay in goods in the UK is likely to reduce the amount of fresh produce on the shelves.
“It is imperative that trucks cross the border as quickly as possible,” said the Food Manager at UK Retail Federation. “Until the backlog is cleared and delivery begins again, we expect fresh commodities to be less available.”
