/cloudfront-us-east-2.images.arcpublishing.com/reuters/R76C3V5PA5LCBMPJXQQCL3IK2Y.jpg "In northern France, the first trucks crossed the new customs border with England")
CALAIS, France, Jan 1 (Reuters) – Moments after Britain finalized its divorce from the European Union, the first trucks to transport goods across the new customs border submit their clearance documents to French agents before loading onto trains to pass through the Eurotunnel.
The barcode on Toma Moise’s Romanian driver’s document was scanned and approved in seconds. “The future, I don’t think it will be difficult,” he said in broken English before continuing his journey to England.
Serving as the dawn of a newly independent “global Britain,” her exit from the world’s largest trading bloc meant a return to customs formalities on the island nation’s border with Europe for the first time in decades.
The flow of goods through the Calais Eurotunnel terminal was eerily quiet in the early hours of New Year’s Day.
British and European businesses have warned about carnage at the border as they learn to deal with the bureaucracy and paperwork that threatens to disrupt the smooth flow of nearly 1 trillion euros in annual trade.
Yann Leriche, chief executive of Getlink which operates Eurotunnel, told Reuters changes to customs procedures may be needed but there would be no chaos in the next few weeks.
Reporting by Richard Lough; Edited by Daniel Wallis
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