Britain has completely left the European Union since today, some people previously feared that the British-French Channel Tunnel (Channel Tunnel) will be immediately blocked, but the tunnel operator said a large number of heavy trucks passed smoothly early in the morning, “a little problem”.
Getlink, the tunnel operator, said that nearly 200 trucks were travelling between the UK and France after the UK officially left the EU customs union and single market early this morning.
A Getlink spokesman told AFP: “For a special historic night, traffic conditions have been considered busy and everything went smoothly.”
The spokesman said, “All the trucks completed the formalities (necessary because Britain is no longer part of the EU customs union). Not a single truck was held up.”
French officials insist that chaos at France’s northwest border at Calais is being minimized thanks to the so-called “smart border.” Authorities require freight operators to enter cargo information online in advance and then simply scan it quickly when they arrive at the border.
Once the scan is completed, if there is a green light, the truck can follow the instructions to pass; if the orange light, then subject to further inspection.
Officials also mentioned that the British store line has been stocked in advance for January. After Christmas, January is a relatively slow month for business.
The first vehicle to be cleared for the UK was a heavy goods vehicle from Romania carrying mail and parcels. The lorry was given the symbolic green light by the mayor of Calais, Natacha Bouchart, who gave it the go-ahead.
Bouchart said it was a “historic moment” and it is still unknown how much impact the resumption of customs checks will have.
About 70 percent of Britain’s trade with the European Union is through the French ports of Calais and Dunkirk (Dunkirk). On average, 60,000 passengers and 12,000 trucks pass through the Anglo-French Crossing every day.
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