France will start trials from mid-september in Calais of the electronic customs system that it will put in place for freight crossing the Channel if the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
Announcing the plans to test the system ahead of a possible no-deal Brexit on 31 October, Gérald Darmanin, the French minister in charge of customs, told French radio station RTL: “For a month, we’re going to pretend there is Brexit. For a lot of companies, we are going to have a sort of dress rehearsal so that we are ready at the end of October.”
His comments came ahead of a meeting with Michael Gove, the UK minister co-ordinating “no-deal”
Brexit planning, in Calais on Friday afternoon to showcase France’s preparations. These include 700 extra customs officers and a “smart border” to ease the burden on the 100,000 French companies that Paris estimates trade with the UK.
The UK economy is heavily reliant on road freight that comes from Calais — via ferry to Dover and through the Channel tunnel to Folkestone — carrying just-in-time and perishable items, such as car parts and food. Under a no-deal Brexit newly introduced customs controls could create a choke point as lorries converge on either side of the Channel.
A recent leak of the UK’S contingency planning for a no-deal Brexit, known as Operation Yellowhammer, found that between 50 and 85 per cent of lorries travelling between Calais and Dover were not expected to be ready to cope with new French custom controls. The documents estimated that this could lead to a reduction in traffic flows of between 40 and 60 per cent.
“Our duty is to prepare our country for all scenarios,” Mr Darmanin added on Twitter. “To be ready on D-day to ensure the smooth flow of trade, including in case of Brexit without an agreement.”
He said the French system would allow companies to fill out an online declaration of goods heading for the UK before the trucks set off. This would generate documentation, including bar codes, that would feed into the electronic customs system and combine with number plate recognition technology.
