New COVID-19 variant, border closures and possible food shortages during Christmas in the U.K
A new and highly contagious strain of COVID-19 was detected in London and the South East of England in mid - December which raised panic amidst the border sharing countries. The strain is approximately 71% more transmissible than the other variants and has spread across London. This information was confirmed by the authorities on 18th December 2020 after which the government immediately declared a nationwide lockdown on the 19th of December 2020. France, one of the major trading partners closed its borders to traffic to the U.K which increased the chances of a potential food shortage in the U.K during Christmas. As a consequence, people started panic buying across the country which cleared off the shelves in leading supermarkets.
France’s decision to close its borders to U.K hauliers for 48 hours most likely to disrupt the supply chain of fresh produce
- The U.K imports a large volume of fresh fruits and vegetables such as lettuce, cauliflower and citrus from France during the colder months and especially during the holiday season. The volume of exports from France surge in peak winter months which makes the U.K heavily dependent on exports for fresh produce during these months.
- It is estimated that about 50% of the food British consume and up to 85% of the fresh fruit and vegetables the country eats come from the EU. Most of the produce is brought into the country by trucks which cross the English Channel on ferries or the Eurotunnel train from France.
- France’s decision to shut its borders to hauliers from the U.K for 48 hours due to the UK's new coronavirus variant was bound to cause food shortage across the U.K as the main English channel remained blocked.
- The English Channel which is a vital trade route between the country was closed. Normally, about 10,000 lorries travel between Dover (England) and Calluses (France) in peak periods such as Christmas, largely bringing in the fresh produce.
- Even though there was no ban on trucks arriving in the U.K but many freight hauliers were reluctant to send drivers to the U.K. There was no certainty about the drivers returning to Europe in time. Hauliers from the EU were expected to avoid the UK for fear of getting stranded in the country.
Source: BBC
Lockdown clubbed with border closures resulted in panic buying
- As the word of the 48-hour haulier ban spread, people started panic buying in the country due to an anticipated shortage. The last few days before Christmas are already chaotic in British supermarkets every year.
- With a nationwide lockdown in place, the customers were already in a panic buying mode which was further exacerbated by the closure of borders.
- Popular supermarkets in the U.K warned that there might be a shortage of items like lettuce, cauliflower and citrus fruit later in the week which coincides with Christmas and long holiday weekend.
Source: BBC
On 23rd November, France decided to lift the ban on French nationals or people with French residency and hauliers entering the country from the U.K. Freight drivers and citizens were allowed to travel between the two countries, subject to a recent negative COVID-19 test. The testing, however, reduced the speed of releasing the trucks and created a bottleneck at the borders. According to the Food and Drink Federation, several difficulties are expected to clear the backlog of more than 3,000 trucks in and around the U.K.'s biggest port.
Source: BBC
Even as the backlog starts clearing, British supermarkets are anticipating a shortage of fresh-produce shortages even after Christmas. The ripple effect of France's two-day ban might take a few days to turn around. The operations are expected to return to normal around the New Years which means that the U.K is likely to see reduced on-shelf availability of some fresh vegetables and fruits in the coming weeks.
Sources
BBC.Supermarkets try to calm food shortage fears amid border chaos.
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