In theory, leaving the European customs union in the so-called "Brexit" meant the end of the free flow of goods and labor between mainland Europe and the British isles. But as things stand right now, the flow of goods has only slowed in one direction.
While British exports are currently subject to checks at the European customs border, European goods are still flowing into Britain. British restaurants and supermarket chains are suffering from food shortages and, to that end, the British government delayed checks on imports from Europe when they formally departed the customs union early this year.
The British government has now delayed checks on European goods again because the shortages have only gotten worse.
LONDON, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Britain has delayed the implementation of some post-Brexit import controls for a second time, saying it would phase in checks through next year rather than impose them now when industry supply chains are under strain.
Having already delayed their introduction by six months from April 1, the government has now pushed the need for full customs declarations and controls back to Jan. 1, 2022. Safety and security declarations will be required from July 1 next year. [...]
While the move will be welcomed by some in the logistics industry, the food and drink trade body attacked the government for the late announcement. New checks on food products had been due to come into force in 17 days.
"The repeated failure to implement full UK border controls on EU imports since 1 January 2021 undermines trust and confidence among businesses," Ian Wright, head of the Food and Drink Federation, said. "Worse, it actually helps the UK's competitors."
Although most imports of food can freely flow from mainland Europe into Britain (but British exports cannot freely flow into Europe), Britain's food industry is still facing shortages because of a massive shortage of labor required to deliver food.
It's supremely ironic that the real, unstated reason for leaving the European Union was to end the free movement of people and labor -- meaning the end of free movement for people of color -- but it's the check on labor that is hurting the British economy the most right now. Britain has a shortage of up to 100,000 drivers needed to deliver food and they can't fill that hole without immigrant labor.
Brexit supporters cloaked their racism by making it about economics, but the Brexit was never good economics. Cutting off immigrant labor has never helped a country prosper.