Brexit surcharge spoils UK exporters’ virus workaround

Brexit is driving up the cost to export UK goods using an air-freight method that British companies have relied on to cope with flight bans triggered by a fast-spreading coronavirus strain. Lufthansa has introduced a surcharge on UK shipments sent by truck to airports in the EU for onward delivery, according to a notice sent to a customer. The fees on so-called flight trucks can add as much as GBP3,000 to the cost of sending a 20-foot container full of high-value items like urgent documents, electronics, or perishable seafood to places like China or Japan. Normally, about half of air cargo is flown directly to its destination from the UK in the holds of passenger jets. But the virus has curtailed air traffic, reducing the amount of belly freight. That’s driven up prices while shifting more volume to dedicated freighters which are in short supply. The problem has worsened for UK shippers since the more infectious virus variant began spreading rapidly in December, triggering added travel curbs. In response, logistics firms are relying on flight trucks to get UK goods to their destinations. Countries including China, Asia’s largest economy, have indefinitely banned passenger flights arriving from the UK, so some goods are being trucked to Brussels or Paris to start the air-freight part of their journey. The airlines say the added charges will compensate for the cost of security checks on these shipments, which are required under terms of the UK’s exit from the EU’s single market since Jan 1. <br/>