A leaked document from Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) says lorries will only be able to move goods across the border if they have the correct reference from the Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS) - a new and untested IT platform that still hasn't been given the green-light for release. Lorry drivers will be required to file the relevant customs paperwork electronically to receive the correct approval, but the Government could ban trucks who don't have the correct clearance from reaching ports, although the HMRC document does not make clear how that will be enforced. Britain remains in the EU's single market and customs union through the Brexit transition period, which ends on December 31, 2020, meaning goods can be moved across the border without having the relevant customs declarations in place.


But that will all change when Britain finally completes its departure from the EU on January 1, 2021, and customs declarations will be required on all imported and exported goods - regardless of whether the two sides agree a free-trade agreement.

The Government now faces a huge race against time to avoid any issues at the border with its biggest trading partner, with any potential delays for trucks triggering miles-long queues at ports such as Dover.

At Dover in particular, some 10,000 trucks arrive daily and currently drive straight out of the port without the need for documentary, but parking space there is limited, meaning it could be difficult to check paperwork at the dockside, thus the need for an electronic system.

HMRC said in a statement, which didn’t when or if the GVMS will be ready or tested before use: “We are regularly engaging with industry as plans develop, in particular with regard to a new IT system that will facilitate movement at the border."