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London (dpa) - Before the impending Brexit traffic chaos at the beginning of January, the British warehouses have been filled to the brim for weeks.
"Everything is full," said the head of the British logistics association UK Warehousing Association, Peter Ward, of the German press agency.
"In any case, stocks have been built up because of the Brexit."
Many companies - for example from the automotive sector - would have stored goods from Europe long before the end of the Brexit transition phase at the turn of the year.
However, it is not only the feared Brexit chaos that is responsible for the high storage requirements.
"The warehouses are so full because of the lockdowns," said Ward.
During the partial lockdown in November, non-essential shops in England also had to close - their unsold goods continue to block a lot of storage space.
In addition, around 300,000 square meters - around 2.5 percent of the total capacity - are filled with corona protective equipment such as masks or medical accessories.
The representative of the warehouse and logistics industry did not give high hopes for companies that were only looking for storage space shortly before the turn of the year: "It is most likely too late."
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At the turn of the year the Brexit transition phase ends, during which until the end of the year the same rules largely applied as before Great Britain left the EU.
After that, long traffic jams at the borders are feared because new controls will be necessary.
The economy on both sides warns of upheavals and massive consequences - especially in the case of a no-deal Brexit.
The members of the association include logistics giants such as Kühne and Nagel or DHL, but also many small and medium-sized companies.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 201218-99-740845 / 2
UK Warehousing Association