Things couldn’t feel less festive in Britain right now. There’s a new — apparently homegrown — virus mutation, rising COVID-19 case numbers, the cancellation of Christmas gatherings, and stalled Brexit talks. Now Europe has put the U.K. into isolation, closing borders because of worries about the new COVID strain.
It isn’t just Christmas travelers who face disruption. Some 10,000 large trucks a day make the trip between France’s Calais and Dover, the U.K.’s biggest port for roll-on, roll-off ferries. The latter accounts for 17% of British goods trade; £119 billion ($158 billion) of goods passed through the port in 2015. There’s a risk of highways to Dover becoming car parks if the border remains shut.
France says it will try to put measures in place to get freight moving again, given that viruses aren’t usually transmitted by truck. But the disruption provides an early taste of what awaits if Britain leaves the European Union without a trade deal on Dec. 31.