Britain relaxed Brexit-linked border surveillance

Britain released border surveillance on Tuesday to prevent the accumulation of trucks in ports as a result of Brexit-related bureaucracy. London said that vehicles exporting goods to the European Union (EU) will no longer need a special permit to enter the port area. According to the British government, freight companies have already adapted to the new requirements and are coming to the border fully prepared. Britain introduced a system of permits to enter the port area following the completion of its withdrawal from the European Union (EU) at the end of last year. It wanted to allay fears of a possible halt to trade if trucks blocked ports without proper documentation. Before Christmas, thousands of trucks got stuck in the port of Dover as some companies tried to build up stocks before Britain left the EU. And also because France has tightened the border regime for the spread of a new, British strain of COVID-19 in Europe. Border problems at the end of last year have raised concerns about serious trade disruptions following the entry into force of the new trade rules between the two banks of the English Channel on 1 January 2021. According to the government, the volume of cargo between Britain and the EU reaches a "normal" level. The government also pointed to official February data, according to which total British exports increased by 46 percent in the second month of the year. Of this, exports to the EU, with the exception of gold and precious metals, were 41.4 percent lower in January than a year ago, but in February their decline slowed to 12.5 percent. Imports fell by 19.2 percent year on year in January and by 11.5 percent in February.