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Parcel company DPD’s U.K. branch on Thursday pressed pause on road deliveries to the EU, including Ireland, until Wednesday because of Brexit-related holdups.
The company said a “pause and review” became necessary due to new, complicated customs procedures, holdups at U.K. ports and stricter requirements for crossing the Channel.
Under post-Brexit rules, parcel shipments between the U.K. and the EU require additional customs information. But the company said up to 20 percent of parcels didn’t come with the necessary data.
“It has now become evident that we have an increased burden with the new, more complex processes, and additional customs data,” DPD said, adding that this was weighing on turnaround and transit times.
EU-based parcel couriers have also warned of delays and increased costs linked with deliveries to the U.K. under the new border procedures.
Although truck volumes this week were well down on usual numbers, industry groups have said trucks were already being turned away due to gaps in their paperwork and warned the risk of disruption would grow as traffic numbers return to normal.
Ireland’s customs agency on Friday temporarily relaxed customs rules, noting many businesses “were not as prepared as they thought or significantly underestimated what was involved in being Brexit ready.”
Ferry operator DFDS said around 60 vehicles a day are currently facing “severe delays” or being refused entry into France, adding the food and agricultural products sectors in particular were having issues.
DPD UK said it would use the break to reduce delays and get customers to fill in the data gaps.
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