Brexit is causing shipping chaos from UK to Europe

Brexit is causing shipping chaos from UK to Europe

Brexit is causing shipping chaos from UK to Europe. image: Flickr

The postal service between the UK and Europe is in chaos because of Brexit red tape and delays.

The postal service between the UK and Europe is in chaos because of Brexit red tape and delays, which is also causing extra fees and lost mail.

Individuals and businesses have been affected by the changes since January when the Brexit transition period ended.

Many UK residents have even given up on ordering to or from Spain because of the extra fees and delays.

inews reports that Ovidio Raul Rodriguez Castro, 46, an IT engineer at a bank who has lived in the UK for 15 years, has stopped ordering from Spain following Brexit for those reasons.

“Before Brexit, a case of wine with 12 bottles cost £110 then it went up to £130,” he told i. “I bought a box of Marks & Spencer tea bags which cost £3 to send to Spain. But when it got there, they wanted to charge €52.”

Others have said of long waits as mail from the UK gets stuck in Spanish customs.

One Facebook user said that they sent a parcel to their mother for Mother’s Day that still hasn’t been received and is apparently stuck in Spanish customs.

A business owner in Spain, Alicia Head, has been forced to look for suppliers in Europe when orders from the UK have still not been received: “We are still waiting for an order from July. Ironically the factory we use in the UK uses wood from Spain and it is facing delays in getting this eucalyptus sent to Britain. It is mad,” she told i.

Ms Wood said she had fewer problems with an order from India than with orders from the UK.

Clive Davies tweeted: “Just picked up a package in Palma (Mallorca) sent from Scotland. Arrived quite quickly but customs charges on £20 worth of children’s books were nearly €13. That must be around a 50 per cent surcharge on goods from the UK.”

A Royal Mail spokeswoman said: ”We’re currently experiencing delays to some items being delivered in Spain. Items are leaving the UK on time but are subject to some delay when being processed through Spanish customs.”

“To avoid items being held at customs, please ensure you’re providing complete and accurate electronic customs data and customs documentation.”

According to the HMRC customs service, the UK has left the European Union Customs Union and Single Market meaning that individuals and traders now have to follow new customs procedures for sending parcels between the UK and the EU, including filling in the parcel details electronically when they are sent.


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Written by

Laura Kemp

Originally from UK, Laura is based in Axarquia and is a writer for the Euro Weekly News covering news and features. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com.

Comments


    • Rosie

      03 November 2021 • 18:34

      “have to follow new customs procedures for sending parcels between the UK and the EU, ”

      No, they’re not. 3rd countries like the UK don’t deal with ‘the EU’.

      They deal with Spain, France or Germany, each with different rules, different fees, different pen colour even, as some people noticed.

    • Rosie

      03 November 2021 • 18:34

      “have to follow new customs procedures for sending parcels between the UK and the EU, ”

      No, they’re not. 3rd countries like the UK don’t deal with ‘the EU’.

      They deal with Spain, France or Germany, each with different rules, different fees, different pen colour even, as some people noticed.

    • Naimah Yianni

      04 November 2021 • 15:30

      It sounds like Spanish customs are being arseholes. i can´t see any logical reason why this should suddenly have happened. These little despots sit behind desks making everything difficult because it makes them feel powerful. But then I have always thought that there are a lot of people with “Little Man Syndrome” in this country

    • Naimah Yianni

      04 November 2021 • 15:30

      It sounds like Spanish customs are being arseholes. i can´t see any logical reason why this should suddenly have happened. These little despots sit behind desks making everything difficult because it makes them feel powerful. But then I have always thought that there are a lot of people with “Little Man Syndrome” in this country

    • John

      04 November 2021 • 17:04

      Strange how countries within the EU have to also deal with every other country not in the EU, not just the UK, so why is the UK the only one for whom chaos and red tape is bestowed? Punishment for Brexit, perhaps? Or do other countries get treated in the same way? (as they should). More to this than meets the eye.

    • John

      04 November 2021 • 17:04

      Strange how countries within the EU have to also deal with every other country not in the EU, not just the UK, so why is the UK the only one for whom chaos and red tape is bestowed? Punishment for Brexit, perhaps? Or do other countries get treated in the same way? (as they should). More to this than meets the eye.

    Comments are closed.