Long lorry queues at Dover port as UK readies for Brexit 'no-deal' chaos

Food shortages, tailbacks and congested ports: as talks with Brussels remain unresolved three weeks before leaving the EU single market, the UK is preparing for a chaotic "no-deal". | Freight lorries are seen queuing as they enter the port of Dover.

James Sibley, head of international affairs at the UK's Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), told the BBC he expected "terrible disruption in January". But even as the clock ticks down to Brexit, the country has already had a taster: a logjam at seaports has lasted several weeks, disrupting supply chains.

Many businesses are trying to order in supplies early as a precaution while others are ordering larger quantities to boost production to compensate for this year's coronavirus lockdown.

Big queues of lorries snaked into the port of Dover on England's south coast for another day with high volumes of freight traffic and disruption at other cargo ports put down to Brexit stockpiling, pre-Christmas build up and transport of medical supplies for Covid care increasing demand.

This week, large numbers of lorries were stuck in huge jams heading to and from the busy Channel port of Dover, on the south coast of England.

Many fear the situation could get considerably worse if London and Brussels fail to strike a deal in last-gasp trade talks that could end on Sunday.

In a September report on the "reasonable worst case" scenario, the British government predicted there could be tailbacks of 7,000 lorries waiting at ports lasting two days.

It envisaged huge emergency carparks for lorries and even special passes to enter the county of Kent, where Dover is located, showing truckers had all the right new paperwork.

Failure to secure a deal in time for the end of the transition period on December 31 would see Britain revert to World Trade Organization rules, with tariffs and quotas, from January 1. This would mean customs duties and limits placed on a number of goods, on top of more detailed, time-consuming paperwork.

Every lorry that failed to comply precisely would cause a delay of several minutes, causing long lines at customs.