Brexit border friction boosts shipping costs from France to U.K.

The cost of shipping goods from France to Britain has surged in the past year both because of Brexit and the coronavirus, high-frequency data show.

Cargo rates into the U.K. from France has risen 44.7% in the year through February, according to TimConsult, a unit of global logistics platform Transporeon. That reflects lower capacity to move goods and increasing reluctance of trucking companies to take shipments across the border.

The figures are the latest to indicate friction at the U.K. border slowing trade following the end of the country’s membership in the European Union. It’s also part of a broader global surge in shipping costs that’s prompting manufacturers and their customers to seek cheaper solutions, such as buying their own shipping containers and chartering vessels.

In Britain, the issues are exacerbated by new customs paperwork required for truckers seeking to move goods across the English Channel. Transporeon Chief Executive Officer Stephan Sieber said overall, freight transport from the Continent to Britain was “normalizing” as they start to understand the new restrictions.

The company also said:

• The rate that cargoes are being rejected by shippers rose slightly in the past week
• Transport demand for moving goods from France to the U.K. fell slightly last week
• Demand rose on the Italy-to-U.K. route