The freight volume transit between the United Kingdom and the European Union is still much lower than for the Brexit. This is shown by data from the German company Transporeon, which keeps records of more than 100 000 cargo carriers. The causes are the COVID-19 crisis, the increased red tape and the establishment of stocks by companies in the run-up to the Brexit.
In the third week of January, the volume of freight was 38% lower than in the same period last year. Prices on the route between France and the United Kingdom were more than 50% higher than in the third quarter of 2020. According to transport companies, higher shipping costs can be a permanent consequence of the Brexit.
Because of the extra red tape, cargo carriers refuse more orders. In some cases, they prefer to drive an empty truck back from Britain. The rejection rate last week was more than 150% higher than the average in the third quarter last year.