Leaders within the industry have highlighted the considerable challenges faced by importers due to the recent malfunction of the Automatic Licence Verification System (ALVS), which led to significant financial strain and delays. Nigel Jenney, Chief Executive of the Fresh Produce Consortium, articulated the severity of the situation, stating, "The last few days have pushed industry to the brink, yet Government continued the line 'no delays at the border'... The ongoing failures have imposed huge financial burden on industry." The disruption was notably evident this weekend at the Sevington border facility in Kent, where the ALVS system's failure to automatically clear goods through customs resulted in long delays and chaotic scenes.
Jenney further mentioned: "This morning, we still have members chasing after days to secure release of consignments," highlighting the system's failure affected not only EU arrivals but all international consignments. The malfunction led to fresh food and flowers being held for extended periods as import paperwork was processed manually. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has reported that the issues with the ALVS system have been addressed. This incident occurred against the backdrop of the UK introducing physical checks on food and plant imports from the EU on April 30th, as part of the new post-Brexit border regime.
Source: fpcfreshtalkdaily.co.uk