The British government warned companies that export to the European Union on Monday that they should prepare after the post-Brexit transition period for a return of "inevitable" border controls. London "plans to reintroduce import controls on goods from the EU at the border after the transition period which ends on December 31," according to a government statement.
From 2021, "the UK will be outside the single market and the customs union, so we will have to be ready for the inevitable customs procedures and regulatory controls," insisted Michael Gove, one of Boris Johnson’s ministers. Imports and exports to and from the EU will not be given preferential treatment but will be subject to the same controls as those from the rest of the world, he added. He added that the EU would also exercise controls over goods entering its territory.
Transition period until the end of the year
The UK officially withdrew from the European Union on January 31 but continues to apply EU rules during a transition period which runs until the end of this year, during which the Conservative government of Boris Johnson intends to complete complex negotiations on a free trade agreement with its main trading partner.
Last month, Finance Minister Sajid Javid already called on companies to "adapt", recalling that they had had more than three years to do so since the Brexit referendum. His remarks had caused great concern in the business community. Most economists predict a very negative impact on British activity if the exit from the EU does not lead to a satisfactory free trade agreement and de facto results in a "hard" Brexit.
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