British ports are calling on the government to compensate for millions in wasted spending on post-Brexit border infrastructure that is now set to be rendered redundant under the UK’s new trade deal with the European Union.
The agreement, which includes a commitment to drop most sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) checks on food, animal products and agricultural goods, has been broadly welcomed by port authorities. However, the deal has also sparked anger over the millions invested in facilities that may now never be used.
According to the British Ports Association (BPA), ports spent more than £120 million preparing for a regime of rigorous post-Brexit border inspections — spending that now appears unlikely to be recouped.
“While a new framework agreement is welcome, it means capital and operational costs, as well as opportunity costs, will likely never be recovered from traders as promised,” said Richard Ballantyne, BPA chief executive. “We are therefore calling on the government to meet the shortfall.”
The BPA represents ports responsible for 86% of UK trade, including most handling EU goods. While some larger ports already had the required inspection infrastructure, many smaller and regional ports were forced to build new facilities from scratch.
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