Scotland’s fishermen halt EU exports amidst post-Brexit ‘catastrophe’
Scottish fishermen have reportedly frozen exports to the EU due to a sudden rise in export costs and skewed delivery times after post-Brexit delays at ports.
Fishing export businesses are faced with the introduction of health certificates, customs declarations and other paperwork increase export costs and timings.
“Our customers are pulling out,” Santiago Buesa of SB Fish told Reuters. “We are fresh product and the customers expect to have it fresh, so they’re not buying. It’s a catastrophe.”
Delays
Delivery times tripled in the first working week post-Brexit as one-day deliveries took as long as three days, with reportedly unguaranteed success.
Businesses attempted smaller deliveries to Spain and France earlier this week but were met with five-hour delays to secure the necessary health certificate in Scotland.
It was reported that several business owners could not track their cargo due to scrambled exports.
Brexit triggered the largest shift in trade rules since the Single Market’s launch in 1993. Food and livestock trade look to be the worst affected by the new bureaucracy.