The Freight Transport Association has warned that if the new government does not pass the Withdrawal Agreement through parliament, there is still a risk of a ”no-deal Brexit”.
The FTA has said that if the UK leaves the European Union on 31 January 2020 without a deal, then it would spell chaos for for the UK’S highly interconnected supply chain and the industries which rely upon it.
Pauline Bastidon, head of European policy at the FTA, said: “Despite repeated requests of the previous government, FTA still has not received responses from government on a number of key areas which currently enable the smooth passage of goods and services across the UK’s borders.
“While the transition period has already been reduced to less than a year, it is vital that the logistics industry understands the new rules and procedures it will need to implement after Brexit, and critically, has time to plan and adapt.”
There remains three areas the FTA is concerned about in regards to Brexit, including final confirmation of arrangements for imports and exports between the UK and Europe; agreement on the Irish border; and the ongoing situation regarding the status of employed EU nationals within the supply chain sector.
Bastidon said: “No one wants to see long border delays for goods and services, which could cause critical problems in the supply chain for perishable items, critical medicines and other time sensitive goods.
“But this is exactly what will happen if the Industry does not get time to plan for the introduction of new rules and procedures.”
