The European Union and the United Kingdom have entered into a trade deal, which will take effect on 1 January 2021. Despite the agreement, customs formalities will apply to freight traffic with the UK as of then.
Each year, millions of tonnes of freight are imported and exported through the port of Rotterdam. The Port of Rotterdam Authority has been working for more than two years in close collaboration with Rijkswaterstaat (Dutch Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management), Customs, Portbase, ferry companies, local governments, and other partners in the logistics chain to ensure the shipment of freight from Rotterdam to the UK ports runs as smoothly as possible.
Minimising the risk of traffic disruption
Forwarders, terminals, and authorities will have to get used to the new situation. New customs formalities could result in there being delays at the ferry terminal gates. In spite of all the preparations and precautions, there is a chance that the logistics process will be running less smoothly than normal in the first days of the new year. From 1 January 2021, we will therefore introduce traffic measures in the vicinity of the ferry terminals to limit the impact of Brexit. These measures are based on a range of traffic simulations. Temporary parking areas for trucks have been created at or in the vicinity of the ferry terminals at Hoek van Holland, Vlaardingen, and in the port area of Europoort. To manage the flow of traffic in the area, signs have been erected and traffic marshals will be operating. We anticipate that these measures will be needed for no longer than six to eight weeks.