Post-Brexit border charges due to be introduced next January could impact UK consumers higher food prices and supply chain disruption, warns UK food and logistics industry bodies.

Spike in imports has led to bottlenecks of containers carrying supplies for shops and factories.

The context is a national shortage of drivers made worse by Brexit and the unwelcoming environment for foreign nationals now fostered by government.

A shortage of UK workers is hitting supermarket shelves in Wales.

Pressure on supply chains is set to last throughout 2022, according to Logistics UK in a report that comes at the same time as fresh issues related to trade with Europe appear, with the government proposing unilateral action on Brexit.

Almost a third of U.K. logistics companies expect to face trucker shortages this year, and a 10th say recruitment issues will pose an “extreme barrier” to the recovery of their business from the pandemic.

The UK government is still failing to understand the country’s supply chains, say logistics operators, or recognise their anxiety as more Brexit regulations loom.

It’s one of the labour shortfalls that has emerged partly because of border friction following Brexit.

The Unite Trade Union claims the UK Government has showed “sheer incompetence" after a freedom of information request revealed that no monitoring of the extent of cabotage occuring in the country has taken place.

Households will be particularly hard hit at start of next year and into spring.

Grant Shapps has announced policy aimed at foreign lorry drivers to help ease supply chain problems.

‘It’s entirely Brexit,’ says haulier who has been caught up in 15km queues.

“We drive 44-tonne killing machines. We are professionals, and in Europe we are treated like professionals, but in the UK we aren’t.”