{"id":114246,"date":"2025-05-19T11:51:09","date_gmt":"2025-05-19T11:51:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/114246\/"},"modified":"2025-05-19T11:51:09","modified_gmt":"2025-05-19T11:51:09","slug":"exporters-frustrated-by-post-brexit-border-checks-and-red-tape","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/114246\/","title":{"rendered":"exporters frustrated by post-Brexit border checks and red tape"},"content":{"rendered":"

British exporters have voiced deep frustration over post-Brexit border checks, blaming unclear customs guidance, rising costs, and poor communication from HMRC for supply chain delays and growing operational stress.<\/p>\n

\nA new report commissioned by HMRC and carried out by Ipsos offers one of the first detailed \u201cwarts and all\u201d appraisals of the UK\u2019s border processes since leaving the EU. The study, based on interviews with 35 traders and freight agents, found that while most reported goods movements to be \u201cgenerally smooth\u201d, many also described the system as costly, opaque and emotionally draining for staff.\n<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cIt gets to staff\u201d: cost and confusion on the frontlines<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\nSeveral businesses described being left in the dark when their goods were stopped at the border, with no clear information on who to contact or how to resolve the issue.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne member of staff told me he doesn\u2019t want to work in this area as he \u2018can\u2019t stand the stress of it all\u2019 \u2014 it really gets to staff,\u201d said one large exporter.<\/p>\n

The financial impact of delays was also severe. A medium-sized export agent said: \u201cIf you have issues, there\u2019s usually a financial penalty. Storage fees escalate quickly. A single \u00a3600 fine can wipe out all your profit on a job.\u201d<\/p>\n

Several traders said it was difficult to find accurate contact information for HMRC, with one small agent describing the process of resolving issues as \u201cpainful\u201d and saying: \u201cThey won\u2019t speak to us. Even finding the right email required speaking to three different people \u2014 and then it just went to Border Force, not even the relevant desk.\u201d<\/p>\n

Border-related delays and red tape have led to logistical uncertainty, making it harder for companies to plan transport schedules and fulfil delivery commitments.<\/p>\n

From hiring additional drivers to covering fines for missed delivery windows, businesses are now facing a post-Brexit trade landscape<\/a> riddled with hidden costs and inefficiencies.<\/p>\n

Despite the pain points, a number of traders noted improvements in recent months. One said, \u201cIt was mayhem after Brexit, but recently, it\u2019s been a lot better.\u201d Another added, \u201cIt might have just slowed things down ever so slightly every now and again.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, William Bain, Head of Trade Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce, warned that the Ipsos interviews were conducted before full UK import controls came into force, including physical checks on food and plant products.<\/p>\n

\u201cCustoms and border processes remain a daily pain point. That\u2019s why we\u2019re urging the UK-EU leaders\u2019 summit to agree on a robust agri-food deal and to scrap safety and security declarations in both directions,\u201d Bain said.<\/p>\n

Such reforms, Bain argues, could simplify border processes for both UK and EU businesses \u2014 especially SMEs that lack the resources to navigate complicated customs regimes.<\/p>\n

In a statement, HMRC said: \u201cBusinesses told us moving goods across the border was generally a smooth process. We\u2019ll continue to use feedback to streamline procedures, improve guidance, and support the flow of legitimate goods. We\u2019re committed to simplifying customs and reducing burdens while maintaining effective checks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still, as full post-Brexit customs protocols continue to roll out, many businesses feel unprepared and under-supported. A large exporter summed up the mood:<\/p>\n

\u201cWe get customer complaints due to border delays \u2014 but we get loads of complaints about loads of things.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t \t\t\"Jamie \t \tJamie Young \t<\/p>\n

\t\tJamie is Senior Reporter at Business Matters, bringing over a decade of experience in UK SME business reporting.
\nJamie holds a degree in Business Administration and regularly participates in industry conferences and workshops.
\n
\nWhen not reporting on the latest business developments, Jamie is passionate about mentoring up-and-coming journalists and entrepreneurs to inspire the next generation of business leaders. \t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"British exporters have voiced deep frustration over post-Brexit border checks, blaming unclear customs guidance, rising costs, and poor…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":114247,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5226],"tags":[802,748,2000,299,5187,1699,4884,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-114246","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-brexit","8":"tag-brexit","9":"tag-britain","10":"tag-eu","11":"tag-europe","12":"tag-european","13":"tag-european-union","14":"tag-great-britain","15":"tag-uk","16":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114534356520159109","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114246","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=114246"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114246\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/114247"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=114246"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=114246"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=114246"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}