Daily Archives: February 2, 2021

IBM’s Goldeneye: Behind the scenes at the world’s largest dilution refrigerator – ZDNet

Posted: February 2, 2021 at 8:04 pm

CONNIE ZHOU

It's fitting that one of the coolest quantum computing projects going has an equally cool name.Goldeneyeis IBM's internal codename for the world's largest dilution refrigerator, which will house a future 1,000,000 qubit quantum processor.

In September 2020, IBM debuted a detailed roadmap about how it will scale its quantum technology in the next three years to reach the true quantum industry inflection point of Quantum Advantage -- the point at which quantum systems will be more powerful than today's conventional computing.

But there's a catch: You can't do anything in quantum without incredibly low temperatures.

To reach this 'moon landing' moment, the IBM team developed the largest dilution refrigerator, which will house a future 1,000,000 qubit system. Work is underway to reach the goal of quantum computer capable of surpassing conventional machines by 2023, and this 10-foot-tall and 6-foot-wide "super-fridge" is a key ingredient, capable of reaching temperatures of 15 millikelvin, which is colder than outer space. The fridge gets so cold it takes between 5 and 14 days to cool down.

I caught up withJerry Chow, Director of Quantum Hardware System Development for IBM, to learn about the Herculean project and to find out what's next for IBM's quantum computing ambitions.

Let's start with the basics: Why is a super-fridge necessary for useful quantum computing and what advances in the last decade or so have aided that effort?

Superconducting qubits need to be cooled down to between 10-15 millikelvin for their quantum behavior to emerge. They need to be kept that cold to ensure that their performance is high. Dilution refrigeration technology, which has been around for a really long time, is an enabling technology specifically for superconducting qubits for quantum computing. Whereas a different type of qubit might require its own unique set of hardware and infrastructure.

Around 2010, cryogen-free dilution refrigerators became en vogue. These didn't require transferring and refilling liquid cryogenic helium every other day to keep these refrigerators cold. In fact, my PhD at Yale was completed entirely at the time when we were still experimenting on what we call "wet" dilution refrigerators. However, around 2010, the whole world started switching over to these reliable cryogen-free "dry" dilution refrigerators which suddenly allowed for experiments with superconducting qubits to be done for a lot longer periods of time with no interruption.

How did the Goldeneye project first took shape? And what were the biggest perceived technical challenges early on?

The very first thought of building something at that scale came from my colleaguePat Gumannwhile brainstorming long-term, 'crazy' ideas in my office in November of 2018. At that time, our team was tasked with deploying our first 53-qubit quantum computer in the IBM Quantum Computation Center in Poughkeepsie, NY, a challenge which pushed a few limits in what we could place into a single cryogenic refrigerator at the time. While working on it, it also really made us start thinking beyond, and almost instantly that we will need much larger cryogenic support system to ever cool down between 1,000 to 1 million qubits. This was simply due to the sheer volume required to host, not only all the qubits, but also all of the auxiliary, cryogenic, microwave electronics cables, filters, attenuators, isolators, amplifiers, etc.

It became very apparent that a new way of thinking in terms of the design would be needed and we started coming up with different form factors for how to effectively construct and cool down a behemoth such as the super-fridge. Some of the challenges we had were purely infrastructural such as how were we going to find a space in the building big enough to start this project and where would we find the capabilities to work with really large pieces of metal.

And as the rubber started to meet the road what have turned out to be the biggest hurdles to creating a useful quantum computer, and what does that say about the trajectory of the technology?

Some of the most challenging hurdles to overcome includes improving the quality of the underlying qubits, which includes improving the underlying coherence times (the amount of time that qubits stay in a superposition state), the achievable two-qubit gate fidelities, and reducing crosstalk between qubits as we scale up.

For that matter, most of these improvements feed into an overall quality measure for the performance of a quantum computer which we have defined called the Quantum Volume. Having a measure such as Quantum Volume allows us to really show progression along a roadmap of improvements, and we have been demonstrating this scaling of Quantum Volume year over year as we make new systems better and better.

The higher the Quantum Volume, the more real-world, complex problems quantum computers can potentially solve. A variety of factors determine Quantum Volume, including the number of qubits, connectivity, and coherence time, plus accounting for gate and measurement errors, device cross talk, and circuit software compiler efficiency.

Where is IBM right now with regards to Goldeneye? What can we expect in the near future?

Our "Goldeneye" super-fridge is very much an ongoing project, which is on target for completion in 2023. It is just one critical part of our long-term roadmap for scaling quantum technology. As we continue to execute on the roadmap we announced in September, we're pleased to share that we achieved aQuantum Volume of 128in November and we're working towards improving the quality of our underlying systems in order to debut our127-qubit IBM Quantum Eagle processorlater this year.

In the near future, we're poised to make exciting developments with our entire technology stack, including software and control systems. At IBM, we're working toward a complete set of broad innovations and breakthroughs.

What will quantum computing mean for the world in the long run? How will be a game changer?

Quantum computing will vastly broaden the types of problems we will address, and the technology offers a new form of computation that we expect to work in a frictionless fashion with today's classical computers. From the chemistry of new materials, and the optimization of everything from vehicle routing to financial portfolios, to improving machine learning, quantum will be an integral part of the future of computing and we're proud to be laying the foundation for a future of discovery.

Read the original here:

IBM's Goldeneye: Behind the scenes at the world's largest dilution refrigerator - ZDNet

Posted in Quantum Computing | Comments Off on IBM’s Goldeneye: Behind the scenes at the world’s largest dilution refrigerator – ZDNet

BMW tries to get ahead of its supply curve using quantum computing – Engadget

Posted: at 8:04 pm

BMW is starting to embrace quantum computing to optimize its supply chains. The automaker has started testing Honeywell systems to help it determine the best components to buy at the right time without disrupting production. While one supplier might be able to deliver components faster, similar parts might be cheaper from another supplier at the same time, as CNET notes. The new Honeywell H1 machine can determine the most optimal selections from the available choices.

Tracking the availability and pricing of components from a variety of suppliers can be a complex task, especially for traditional computers, so BMW is hoping that the quantum approach can help it to improve its manufacturing processes. It's not the first automaker to test quantum computing. Volkswagen has tried using the technology to develop better traffic management systems.

Elsewhere, BMW has announced entry-level plug-in hybrid versions of the 3 Series and 5 Series. After the 320e and 530e become available in March, the automaker will have 15 BMW models and one Mini with plug-in hybrid drive in its lineup.

Visit link:

BMW tries to get ahead of its supply curve using quantum computing - Engadget

Posted in Quantum Computing | Comments Off on BMW tries to get ahead of its supply curve using quantum computing – Engadget

www.news24.com

Posted: at 8:03 pm

European stocks pushed higher on Monday, with Germany's main stock index striking a record high, buoyed by a pandemic recovery package agreed in the US and Britain's Brexit deal with the EU.

Having been closed since December 23, the blue-chip DAX index bounced 1.7%, reaching 13 819 points at the open, topping the previous high set in February before the coronavirus pandemic forced Europe into lockdown.

The index later pared some of its gains, but still showed a gain of 1.5% in afternoon trading. In Paris, the CAC 40 was up 1.1%.

The stock market in London was closed for a holiday.

The jump came after US President Donald Trump signed a $900 billion (735 billion) stimulus bill late Sunday, averting a government shutdown and removing considerable uncertainty for the world's largest economy.

The US leader had previously refused to sign the relief package, arguing that it included wasteful spending.

On December 24, Britain and the European Union agreed a post-Brexit deal that ended the potentially destructive possibility of its disorderly exit from the bloc.

The Brexit deal and the US aid package were pushing the DAX to "a new high", said Jochen Stanzl, an analyst at CMC Markets.

The market is "breathing a sigh of relief" after the Brexit deal, independent analyst Timo Emden added.

Several EU nations including France, Germany, Italy and Spain began rolling out their first Covid-19 vaccinations on Sunday, although the supply is limited.

"For the markets, it remains crucial to get Covid-19 under control as soon as possible," Emden said.

The DAX's previous high was 13 795 points in February, but it plunged to 8 255 points in March as the pandemic shutdowns battered Europe's economy.

Markets recovered as restrictions on the economy were lifted in the summer and after central banks pumped billions in monetary stimulus into the economy, including 1.85 trillion by the European Central Bank.

US shutdown avoided

The emergency US package is part of a larger spending bill that, with Trump's signature, will avoid a government shutdown on Tuesday.

The president's turnaround came after a day marked by calls from across the political spectrum for action to avert a financial and social disaster in the world's largest economy, especially among the most vulnerable.

"For Americans that have been endlessly checking their mailboxes for a stimulus check, this is the best holiday present anyone could ask for," said Axi strategist Stephen Innes.

"The stimulus balloon will allow the markets to navigate better the number of new air pockets... due to the virus's latest variant," he added.

Markets have recently been shaken by the news of the emergence of a new variant of the coronavirus that authorities believe may spread more easily.

Asian markets traded mixed on Monday. Tokyo closed 0.7% higher on Monday, with Jakarta, Mumbai and Bangkok also in positive territory.

Shanghai, Seoul and Singapore were flat, while Hong Kong closed down 0.3% and Manila slid 1.1%.

Sydney and Wellington were closed for a holiday.

Oil prices rose as the US stimulus measures should help boost demand for energy.

See original here:

http://www.news24.com

Posted in Brexit | Comments Off on www.news24.com

A month on, post-Brexit ‘teething problems’ hit UK-EU trade – The Associated Press

Posted: at 8:03 pm

LONDON (AP) One month after Britain made a New Year split from the European Unions economic embrace, businesses that once traded freely are getting used to frustrating checks, delays and red tape.

British meat exporters say shipments have rotted in trucks awaiting European health checks. Scottish fishermen have protested at Parliament over the catch they can no longer sell to the continent because of complex new paperwork.

The manufacturers organization Make U.K. said Monday that 60% of manufacturing companies have experienced significant disruption since Jan. 1.

The British government says the troubles are teething problems, but companies say they are causing serious pain.

A teething problem is something that will go away eventually, said Alan Russell, who runs plant retailer Trees Online. New customs rules and health checks have prompted him to stop shipping to the EU and to Northern Ireland, which is part of the U.K. but remains in the blocs economic orbit because it shares a border with EU member Ireland.

Its 5 or 10% of my business I have just lost overnight, Russell said. Im used to a little bit of unpredictability. But this is without doubt the most severe and unpredictable event that I cant do anything about.

Britain left the EU politically a year ago, and quit the blocs single market and customs union at the end of 2020. A post-Brexit U.K.-EU trade deal means goods can still move without tariffs or quotas, but businesses face new costs, paperwork and barriers. While many firms prepared as best they could, details of the new arrangements were not nailed down until the trade deal was sealed on Dec. 24, just over a week before it took effect.

The British government is accentuating the positive. U.K. supermarkets have not run short of food, in part due to businesses stockpiling against uncertainty caused by Brexit and the coronavirus pandemic. Traffic jams have not piled up at English Channel ports, and the government says its reasonable worst-case scenario of 7,000-truck tailbacks is now unlikely.

Cross-Channel traffic is flowing relatively smoothly, with less than 5% of trucks being turned back because drivers lack the correct paperwork, the government says.

Business groups say thats because some companies are simply staying away. The flow of goods is only about three-quarters of its January 2020 level, and Make U.K. says many firms have put a hold on importing and exporting from the EU in a hope that things improve.

While many British businesses expected hurdles to trade with the EU, those that ship to Northern Ireland from other parts of the U.K. have found they also face new customs and veterinary checks as part of measures to maintain an open border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic to the south.

An open Irish border, free of checks on goods or people, has played a major role in building peace in the region. The sensitivity of the issue was underscored last week, when the EU threatened to ban shipments of coronavirus vaccines to Northern Ireland as part of moves to shore up the blocs supply. That would have drawn a hard border on the island of Ireland exactly the scenario the Brexit deal was crafted to avoid. British, Irish and Northern Ireland politicians all expressed alarm at the plan, and the EU dropped the idea.

U.K. business groups say firms need more support to overcome post-Brexit hurdles. Make U.K. urged the British government and the EU to simplify customs paperwork and to cut rules of origin red tape that has left businesses struggling to prove their goods are British and thus eligible for tariff-free trade.

The British government says it is spending millions to help companies adjust. But it also says some of the new trade friction is permanent.

Weve always been clear that trading as a third-party country would involve processes, the similar processes that you have for trading with the United States or Japan or any other countries, International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said Sunday.

Brexit supporters say any short-term pain will be offset by Britains new freedom to set its own economic agenda and strike trade deals around the world. On Monday Britain applied to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade bloc of 11 countries including Japan, Singapore, Australia, Canada and Mexico.

Critics note Britains 111 billion pounds ($152 billion) in annual trade with the Pacific bloc is a fraction of the 670 pounds ($920 billion) a year in trade between the U.K. and the EU.

Trade expert David Henig of the European Centre for International Political Economy said the British government was not levelling with people.

They are saying teething problems when it is actually a permanent economic shift, he said. Certain things are just going to become a lot harder.

Its a long-term economic adjustment that this is leading to.

___

Follow all AP stories about Brexit and British politics at httcrps://apnews.com/Brexit

Go here to read the rest:

A month on, post-Brexit 'teething problems' hit UK-EU trade - The Associated Press

Posted in Brexit | Comments Off on A month on, post-Brexit ‘teething problems’ hit UK-EU trade – The Associated Press

UK to seek lifting of Brexit controls in Northern Ireland – The Guardian

Posted: at 8:03 pm

The UK government is to seek the lifting of unexpected Brexit controls in Northern Ireland, including checks on pets crossing the Irish Sea and a ban on British soil entering the region in potted plants from English garden suppliers.

The Cabinet Office minister, Michael Gove, said he would be writing to the European commission vice-president Maro efovi on Tuesday, seeking urgent action on Brexit checks that were affecting the daily life of people in Northern Ireland.

He told parliament he would be addressing the extension of the 1 April grace period on checks on chilled meats, including British sausages, and everything from pet transport to the provision of plants and seeds to gardens in Northern Ireland, and the daily life of our fellow citizens does need to be protected.

The EU rules on soil and pets are designed to prevent diseases from entering the Republic of Ireland. The original Brexit plan was to draw up a list of goods at risk of going over the border but this did not materialise because of rows between negotiators and time constraints.

Gove will also meet Northern Irelands first minister, Arlene Foster, the deputy first minister, Michelle ONeill, and efovi on Wednesday to discuss escalating tensions over Brexit in Northern Ireland.

All of these issues and more are ways in which the protocol is having an impact on people in Northern Ireland, which is not in the interests of Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom, or indeed good relations between US and the EU. Vice-president Maro efovi totally understands the need to resolve these issues. And with goodwill, I believe that we can [do so] speedily, said Gove.

The meeting comes after all Northern Irish and EU officials were withdrawn from duties conducting physical checks on goods from Great Britain amid concerns over their safety after reports of menacing behaviour and graffiti threatening border officials and the former Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar.

The threats have been widely condemned, with Irelands taoiseach, Michel Martin, describing them as sinister and ugly.

Obviously, we will be doing everything we possibly can to assist them to defuse the situation, he said.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland said they did not believe loyalist paramilitaries were involved in threats made to workers conducting post-Brexit trade checks, but that disgruntled individuals or small groups may be responsible, rather than the organised gangs that once instigated serious violence.

Assistant chief constable Mark McEwan said: We are concerned about the actions of a number of individuals and small groups.

We dont believe that those actions are organised. But they do give us cause for concern.

Sammy Wilson, the Democratic Unionist party MP for East Antrim, said it appeared that one staff member may have been identified or followed home, raising deep concerns among the police and the security services.

It is not a case of just guarding the port. It is a case of real danger when they [staff] go home at night. Because it appears that that is what has been happening at present. They have been gathering intelligence about where people live etc, he said.

The outgoing Northern Ireland agriculture minister, Edwin Poots, has said the controls on the Irish Sea were disproportionate and had certainly created a lot of tension in the community.

The parties in Belfast are sharply divided on EU withdrawal and the Northern Ireland protocol, which keeps the land border in Ireland open but imposes controls on the Irish Sea, and unexpected bans on soil and controls on pets have fuelled opposition in loyalist communities.

The DUP MP for Belfast East, Gavin Robinson, told Gove that soil or pets from GB to NI had zero risks to the EU and should not have been part of the arrangements designed to stop fraud and smuggling into the Republic of Ireland.

Gove pledged to redouble efforts on the workings of the protocol and urged the EU to follow suit. The EU needs to work with us at speed, and with determination and resolve a series of outstanding issues with the protocol, he said.

Gove was pressed by several MPs including Labours Hilary Benn and the Conservative MP Simon Hoare, the chair of the Northern Ireland affairs committee, to seek permanent solutions.

We have to make the protocol work and work well, said Hoare.

Louise Haigh, the shadow Northern Ireland secretary, said: Calm is now needed and everyone has a responsibility to dial down the rhetoric and ensure the safety of people in Northern Ireland.

Read more:

UK to seek lifting of Brexit controls in Northern Ireland - The Guardian

Posted in Brexit | Comments Off on UK to seek lifting of Brexit controls in Northern Ireland – The Guardian

To hell with Brexit and Westminster – The Guardian

Posted: at 8:03 pm

I enjoyed Ben Fletchers vivid image of Dantes fifth circle of hell for the post-Brexit channel crossings (Report, 31 January).

Theres a big difference, though: in Dante the poor souls are suffering their torment as punishment for their own sins (intemperate anger), whereas at Dover the lorry drivers are enduring their misery because of the sins of others (and one hopes the drivers righteous anger would therefore not be considered sinful).

But I wonder in what circle of hell Dante would place those who are responsible for the chaos. Presumably somewhere in the eighth but is it among the fraudulent counsellors, or the falsifiers, or even the treacherous to country and cause?Martina Crowther-MennCambridge

To claim that the last thing Britain needs is to fall apart in a fit of absence of mind (Editorial, 28 January) is to ignore Englands uncompromising Brexit, forced through in an absence of mind. I have changed my mind on independence. It will be difficult but worth it worth it to be rid of Westminster. Let Scotland decide.Matt RitchieInverness

See more here:

To hell with Brexit and Westminster - The Guardian

Posted in Brexit | Comments Off on To hell with Brexit and Westminster – The Guardian

The government must pay the farmers and fishers struggling with its bad Brexit deal – The Guardian

Posted: at 8:03 pm

There is little doubt what is currently the angriest programme on air: Radio 4s Farming Today. Every morning, enraged farmers and despairing fishers fume as their food rots in lorries and warehouses, unable to export to Europe or even Northern Ireland because of Brexit. Fishing boats lie idle. Meat cannot be moved. The talk is of animal product bans, faulty vet certificates, 50-page customs forms and impossible bureaucracy.

Engineering and manufacturing body Make UK says six out of 10 trading companies now suffer significant border disruption. Northern Irish eels suddenly cant be sold in London. More than 100,000 British pigs are stranded. Families and firms slide towards bankruptcy. Where now the promised frictionless Brexit?

Tut-tut says the occasional government minister, with talk of teething troubles or mere bumps in the road. Liz Truss, the trade secretary, says: We havent seen those predictions of Armageddon come true. Cue explosions of frustration and anger from the frontline of the food, retail and haulage industries. Why were we never warned?

The difference between an act of God and an act of government is a fine one. The government is now compensating individuals and firms extensively for its enforced lockdown of the economy due to coronavirus. The lockdown is rightly seen as an act of policy, even if occasioned by an act of God. The government should pay.

To the best of my knowledge, God was not involved in Brexit. In particular, implementing it by leaving the customs union was specifically a choice of Boris Johnson and his government. Politicians maintain that it was the public who, as Tory MP Neil Parish told the BBC, voted to come out of the single market and customs union. It did not. It voted to come out of the EU and was never asked if it wanted also to leave the customs union, let alone told what leaving might mean. It was told a lie that leaving the customs union would be frictionless. Other countries such as Norway are outside the EU but enjoy free trade within the customs union. The UK may have tariff-free trade but it is not frictionless.

How much of the current trauma is temporary remains to be seen, but that is not an issue. Leaving the customs union not to mention other features of the single market was an ideological whim. The victims of this whim manifestly deserve compensation every bit as much as those suffering from lockdown: both are bearing a crippling personal cost for a benefit, real or supposed, to the nation as a whole. In the case of Brexit, the damage is plainly the result of a political decision and its incompetent implementation. It is a massive regulatory failure. As ministers claim the decision to leave the customs union is greatly to the benefit of all, then all should pay its losers.

The same principle applies to the 700,000 hapless residents of dangerous flats, still stuck in buildings with flammable cladding almost four years after the Grenfell Tower fire. They too are the innocent victims of a state policy in favour of tower blocks, and a state failure to subsequently inspect and regulate their construction. If a car design is unsafe, its makers and inspectors are responsible, not its users. The same applies to a flat, even if the eventual cost is enormous. Any dispute should be between a towers owners, constructors and regulators, not its occupants.

As an urgent first response, the state should cover all residents insurance costs. This is not a case of negligent buyers but of bad government. Be it lockdown, the fallout from the Brexit trade deal or unsafe apartment blocks, the government should pay.

Read the original post:

The government must pay the farmers and fishers struggling with its bad Brexit deal - The Guardian

Posted in Brexit | Comments Off on The government must pay the farmers and fishers struggling with its bad Brexit deal – The Guardian

How Brexit is already taking its toll on the U.K. economy – MarketWatch

Posted: at 8:03 pm

With disruptions at European borders and supply chains perturbed by new tariffs, the U.K. economy has begun to show the negative economic impact of leaving Europes single market and customs union at the beginning of the year, several indicators show.

Read: High-tech British firms eye U.S. listings in blow to post-Brexit London stock market

The outlook: Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently qualified as teething problems the many incidents and trade disruptions triggered by the start of Brexit. But from British fishermen to City of London finance professionals, many rather expect the government to act to try soften the blow.

The massive economic hit triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic may help hide the detrimental Brexit impact to the general population in the first half of the year. But it is hard to see how the government will be able to mitigate the consequences of being an outsider to the single market without taking steps back toward the EU and opening further discussions.

Read: Why Europe Needs More Fiscal Stimulus

More here:

How Brexit is already taking its toll on the U.K. economy - MarketWatch

Posted in Brexit | Comments Off on How Brexit is already taking its toll on the U.K. economy – MarketWatch

Brexit rules mean 15m baby bees may be seized and burned, says beekeeper – The Guardian

Posted: at 8:03 pm

A beekeeper trying to bring 15 million bees into the UK says he has been told they may be seized and burned because of post-Brexit laws.

Patrick Murfet wants to import the baby Italian bees for his Kent business and to help farmers pollinate valuable crops. But new laws that came into effect after the UK left the single market mean bringing bees into the country is banned.

Since the end of the transition period, only queen bees can be imported into Great Britain, rather than colonies and packages of bees. However, confusion over whether bees can be brought in via Northern Ireland has caused a legal headache.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said it was aware of the issue and is working with the devolved administrations to find a solution.

I am a passionate beekeeper, Ive been doing it for nearly 20 years, Murfet said.

He is managing director of Bee Equipment, based near Canterbury, and every year he imports large numbers of bees from breeders in Italy, where the climate is warmer.

For decades, bees have been imported to replenish stocks, strengthen breeding lines and as early awakening pollinators for fruit and honey farms in the UK.

But the ban could put this in jeopardy, Murfet said: Its a monumentally stupid situation for a country supposed to be standing on its own two feet and exporting round the world.

In an effort to avoid the import ban and abide by the new laws, Murfet arranged for his usual importation of 15 million bees to arrive via Northern Ireland in April, but said he had been told they may be destroyed if he tries.

I dont care what they think it should say. At present the rules are clear that bees from Northern Ireland can enter the UK legally. If the law intended something else, they have not written it into legislation, Murfet said.

He says his inquiries into the reasoning behind the ban have been met with a wall of silence, except an email reading: Illegal imports will be sent back or destroyed, and enforcement action (criminal charges) will be brought against the importer.

Murfet said he had already paid a deposit of about 20,000 for the bees and stood to lose nearly 100,000 in costs alone if he cannot bring them into the country.

He added: So far the department has overseen a policy whereby the UK is only one of three countries in Europe to see a decline in bee colonies.Fewer honeybees means less pollination, less top fruits and more imports.

Defra said bee health was a devolved matter and it was working to find a solution. A department spokesperson said it would provide guidance to bee importers and beekeepers as soon as possible.

It is the responsibility of the importer to ensure goods dispatched from Northern Ireland meet the definition of NI qualifying goods or meet import requirements, they added.

Visit link:

Brexit rules mean 15m baby bees may be seized and burned, says beekeeper - The Guardian

Posted in Brexit | Comments Off on Brexit rules mean 15m baby bees may be seized and burned, says beekeeper – The Guardian

Truckers Shun U.K. Ports to Avoid Brexit Red Tape – The New York Times

Posted: at 8:03 pm

HOLYHEAD, Wales Beneath swirling gray clouds, Bryan Anderson leaned from the cab window of his truck to vent his frustration at the new paperwork that had already delayed his journey through Britains second-largest ferry port by half a day.

Its a nightmare, Mr. Anderson said, explaining how he spent hours waiting at a depot 250 miles away for export documents required because of Brexit. The delay meant he reached Holyhead, in Wales, too late for the ferry he planned to take to Dublin, and for the next one, too.

I am roughly 12 hours behind schedule, he said as he prepared, finally, to drive aboard the Stena Adventurer to Dublin to drop off a consignment of parcels for Irelands mail service.

Fear of hassles and red tape stemming from the introduction of the new rules governing Britains trade with the European Union that came into effect on Jan. 1 led to dire predictions of overwhelming gridlock at British ports.

But, so far, the opposite has happened. Apart from hardy souls like Mr. Anderson, truckers are increasingly shunning ports like Holyhead. They are fearful of the mountains of paperwork now required for journeys that last month involved little more than driving on to a ferry in one country and off it in another.

On Thursday, just a couple of dozen other trucks stood waiting for the same ferry as Mr. Anderson in a vast but almost empty port-side parking lot. Holyhead is operating at half its normal capacity and staff have been placed on furlough.

Its too much hassle to go through, Mr. Anderson said.

After months of uncertainty and tense negotiations, Prime Minister Boris Johnson finally struck a trade deal with the European Union on Christmas Eve. So when Britain left Europes single market and customs union on Jan. 1, it avoided the chaos seen during a dress-rehearsal border closure by French officials in December.

Yet the old system that allowed frictionless travel to and from European nations is over. Despite claims by its supporters that Brexit would reduce bureaucracy, companies need to produce millions of customs declarations as well as new documentation like health certifications for food and proof of origin for a wide variety of goods. Shipments of mixed goods like the parcels Mr. Anderson was carrying can mean a plethora of paperwork for drivers to cover everything being carried.

Across Britain, the impact of the rules has caught traders by surprise, setting off a chain reaction that has threatened some jobs and livelihoods.

Outraged over costly delays, Scottish shellfish exporters blockaded the Parliament in London in protest. A truck load of chips destined for a supermarket in Northern Ireland was held up for two days as the truck company sought to prove the origin of the potatoes they were made with, according to a British lawmaker. And more than 600 truck drivers have been fined for breaking a rule designed to prevent congestion that requires them to have a permit to approach Britains busiest port, Dover in Kent.

Under the new rules, truckers must log their consignments with the authorities before reaching ports. Relatively few arrive without the paperwork just 7 percent at Holyhead, according to the port.

But that is because many are stuck elsewhere awaiting papers.

The new system has also raised questions about the future of one of Europes busiest trade routes, between Ireland, which remains part of the European Union, and continental Europe.

The quickest route for trucks is generally via a ferry from Dublin to Holyhead, then east to Dover on Englands coast, and from there a short ferry trip to Calais in France.

Before the Brexit changes, that journey via the land bridge was cheap and reliable, required almost no paperwork and allowed trucks to drop off loads along the way.

But that route has been obstructed by a thicket of bureaucracy, and many companies are opting for direct services between Ireland and France to stay within the European Union.

Whether this reflects teething troubles or a fundamental shift is unclear, and the changes have been welcomed in some quarters.

Some environmental campaigners hope the drop in trade will be permanent and reduce the number of trucks crisscrossing Britain.

Port operators had expected a drop-off in trade as companies emptied stockpiles they had built in December in case there was no trade deal. The pandemic has also hit commerce and tourism, just as companies are adjusting to Brexit-era form filling.

But there are fears that the hit to ports like Holyhead may have lasting implications.

Very loud alarm bells are ringing, said Rhun ap Iorwerth, a member of the Welsh Senedd, or Parliament, for Plaid Cymru, a party that advocates independence for Wales.

It is clear that trade is down massively through the port, he said. I hope this is a temporary phenomenon but I fear that new patterns of trading are being established here and I worry for jobs. The smaller the traffic through the port, the fewer people you need to work at the port.

Virginia Crosbie, a lawmaker with Mr. Johnsons Conservative Party, said she expected that the fluctuations in transport patterns we are seeing at the moment will be short term, citing the benefits of the land-bridge route through England.

Others are more doubtful, noting that eight weekend ferry services from Holyhead to Dublin have already been canceled, while those between Ireland and France have been ramped up.

Given the choice, I think a lot of that traffic has switched to the direct routes, said William Calderbank, port operations manager at Holyhead, which is operated by Stena Line , adding that, while he expects much business to return, some of it will not.

To add to Holyheads problems, it is also losing business to ports in Scotland and northern England that offer routes to Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, that generally require less bureaucracy.

It now makes little sense to send goods destined for Northern Ireland through Holyhead and then by truck north through Ireland a popular route previously.

And while companies should get better at completing paperwork, they face additional changes in the future. The British government is phasing in its own post-Brexit rules, waving most imports through.

But, from July, it will apply full controls as the Irish and French do now.

We are only in phase one of Brexit, we have another one coming in July, said Mr. Calderbank.

That will add to the burden for companies who already face complex regulations.

Andrew Kinsella, managing director of Gwynedd Shipping, a transportation company headquartered in Holyhead, described how one consignment was held in Ireland for seven hours while officials questioned whether it should be certified as a dairy product because of milk contained in cookies chocolate chips.

Holyhead is a ghost town, he said. You dont see the normal steady stream of vehicles every day; you are lucky to see a handful of trucks when the ferries arrive.

At Road King, a Holyhead truck stop, another driver, Rob Lucas, was still parked midafternoon at the spot where he arrived at 6 a.m. to await clearance to take a load into the port.

He had no idea when the text message authorizing him to move would come but did know that the delay had already wrecked his next days schedule.

The only way I can explain it is to say that everything used to run freely, there was no waiting for paperwork; but last Friday I was held up five hours in Kent, he said.

We are all stuck in limbo one of our lads was here for four days early in January, Mr. Lucas said. Its terrible, absolutely terrible, he added, and I can only see it getting worse before it gets better.

Read the original here:

Truckers Shun U.K. Ports to Avoid Brexit Red Tape - The New York Times

Posted in Brexit | Comments Off on Truckers Shun U.K. Ports to Avoid Brexit Red Tape – The New York Times