"What about the delivery of tinned tomatoes due to arrive at my local supermarket? Will the lorry they are on be able to enter the UK? Will the haulagers know what the policy is, will they know where they are allowed to go and what they can deliver?
What about a UK tap manufacturer, that imports a certain seal from Germany? Will they be able to meet their orders? If their consignment cannot enter the UK, will they get a refund on what they have paid? It is, after all, not the supplier's fault.
What will happen to the exports of that business? They can't ship to the EU anymore. They can't ship abroad until new deals are arranged. Will the government communicate clearly and promptly with businesses to let them know who the can and can't export to? While it gets sorted out, will the company have enough capital to keep paying the wages of their staff? What if they are a SME? Will there be government assistance to help them?"
I will have answer this ultra simplistically, not because Im neccesarily dumbing down, but to write in length about all the areas this covers would require me to spend a couple of days explaining . The TIR, the various tariffs, conformity etc so for ease I'll just use the Common Customs Tariff which applies to most goods entering the EU. (nor do I want to get bogged down by the CAP)
Your first incorrect assumption, is that importing to the UK from an EU supplier will become 'illegal'. That is totally untrue. Anyone can import into the UK as long as UK terms, conditions and customs duties are paid.
There would be no difference between a Spanish supplier and a current non-eu supplier. Said spanish tomatoes dont attract any eu tariffs internally(as grown in the eu) but the only variance to the current system, would be the Spanish supplier now has to pay import tax to the UK or tariffs that would apply as they now do to non-eu suppliers. Our customs already have the mechanism for imports. World wide, varying rates, varying tariffs etc If the UK are happy to accept the current customs documentation system used within the EU, (which of course they will as most world suppliers are bringing their customs and tarif codes inline) then nothing changes in that respect.
If its the 'mechanism' that confuses, let me go further.
If said tomatoes are from outside an EU country, they can be imported directly to the (non-eu) UK free from the EUs Common Customs Tariff or any other EU restriction, even if they are driven through europe. This is currently done using whats called the NCTS, where the goods are electronically registered as "non-union goods", and they must be transported in secure units. They then travel just as freely as 'eu' traffic to the country of destination. This currently works as millions of tonnes of non-eu goods, heading to non-eu destinations currently travel by road through europe. Due to the shift in security focus across the EU, and the migrant crisis, the vast majority of hauliers now use secure units as a matter of course whether union or non-union goods. UK import tax and/or tariff would apply.
German parts suppliers, everything stays the same Common Customs Tariff is 0, UK import tax/tariff applies. You went on to say what if the UK refuses the consignment? My answer, Why would they? UK import taxes/tariffs may apply, but absolutely nothing changes.
The Common Customs Tariff only applies to goods entering the EU, for 'use' within the EU. The same with compliance, standards etc. If the UK are happy to accept 'goods' meeting the standards the EU impose on themselves, then nothing changes. Why would the UK on the 1/4/2019 change any of those standards internally? They may longer term lessen them, but Ive yet to hear any argument that more regulation is needed.
Moving onto exports from the UK to eu states. Youre utterly incorrect assumption, is that exporting from the UK will somehow become illegal post Brexit. That is really really really not true. Any supplier from almost anywhere in the world can export to the EU. They must however meet the terms, conditions that apply to said goods and pay customs/duties/levies, to do so.
So what about the british tap exporter selling into the EU? Well the first incorrect assumptions remainers make, is to treat existing UK exporters as 'new' suppliers to the EU. Theyre not. Those that need licences have them. Those that had to meet whatever specific standards for compliance, have already done so. Those hoops have already been jumped through. He will also already have an EORI number, use the CHIEF system (Custom Handling Import Export Freight). The ONLY difference is, that said taps, initially change status from "union goods" to "non-union goods". The current systems absolutely support both types of goods.
What then has to be done (but within the existing customs handling systems) he will have to do is Entry and Customs Declaration. This is all supported electronically under the same CHIEF systems or if hes used the NTCS. In short, he knows his tarif codes, but instead of being 'union goods', they are now 'non-union' goods. He must then pay the customs duties/levies/tariffs due. Once thats paid, the goods then become 'union' goods, and they get delivered/transported just as they did before. Its all electronic, its all done in advance.
Thats the mechanism. Transportation, hauliers, all work exactly as they did before. Arriving at Dover is no different, the same documentation is presented along with the drivers same passport and vehicle documentation. Rules of transportation are the same. Custom checks of goods will be as random as they always were.
The potential delays, issues, may be 'non-union' goods arriving at the Dover. This however, should only apply to a small number of 'new' exporters whilst they get to grips with exporting to EU procedures.
Does that help Squishy? The bun fight is the 'new' customs tariffs/levies/duties, that both our Spanish and UK suppliers have to pay, not some invisible trade barrier that somehow makes trade illegal. Not even the staunchest EU fearmonger in Brussels has demanded trade with the UK should be made illegal. Its utter dolalalalalala remainer tosh.