Bifa wants to postpone Brexit deadline
The British international freight association (Bifa) has said that in light of the massive disruption to supply chains caused by the coronavirus crisis, it would be irresponsible if the UK government tried to abide by the timetable for ending its Brexit transition period.
Robert Keen, director general of the Bifa: "With negotiations between the EU and UK now stalled, I believe that without an extension of the transition period, the UK will not have the time to negotiate a deal that covers anything more than the bare minimum of trade arrangements."
He added: “The government is still refusing to request an extension, saying that the 31 December deadline is enshrined in law. However, whilst Boris Johnson might claim that Brexit is done, we know from our regular meetings with government departments that there is still a huge amount of work in the civil service's in-trays, and everybody is completely overwhelmed by the crisis. In these very difficult times, it is important that the government listens to the freight transport sector, puts politics to one side and seeks an extension to the transition period.” (mw)