Great Britain's port officials are sitting uneasily over Prime Minister Theresa May's decision today to delay Parliament's vote on her Brexit plan.
British Ports Association (BPA) chief executive Richard Ballantyne said ports involved in EU trade and the wider logistics sector are "anxious" to know what they need to do in the event of a "no-deal" departure.
“If there is a hard Brexit the roll-on roll ports who facilitate tens of thousands of lorry and trailers movements between Britain and Europe every day could face real challenges," he said.
Adapting terminals and systems to accommodate new borders processes at short notice would be very difficult although at non ro-ro ports, while there definitely could be some issues, the pressures would be less challenging."
Further, such a move could also affect the wider supply chain, requiring major investments in systemic change by factories, haulers and customs agencies, he said.
"This will take time and investment.”
The BPA represents the interests of over 100 port members, covering more than 350 ports, terminal operators and port facilities.
May's Brexit plan includes keeping a soft border between England and Ireland and disallowing free crossing of UK-EU borders.
