Brexit fog worse than no-deal risk - Belgian port chief

By Clare Roth

作者：Clare Roth

ZEEBRUGGE, Belgium (Reuters) - Uncertainty over Britain's departure from the European Union is worse than the prospect of a “no deal” Brexit just days away, according to the head of the port of Zeebrugge.

比利时ZEEBRUGGE（路透社） - 英国退出欧盟的不确定性比“无交易”英国脱欧的前景更糟糕据Zeebrugge港口负责人称，这几天过去了。

The Belgian port, half of whose cargo exports head to Britain, has hired more than 140 new customs officers and paved more than 500 new parking spots for trucks to ready itself a Britain's crash out of the European Union, which could happen on Friday.

比利时港口，其一半货物出口到英国，已经雇用了140多名新的海关官员并铺设了更多超过500个新的卡车停车位让自己准备好迎接欧盟的崩溃，这可能发生在周五。

“The worst case scenario is already today, that we don't know what happens. It is always better to know what will happen when than not to know,” Joachim Coens, the port's president, told Reuters, as fog shrouded ship movements around the docks.

“最糟糕的情况已经是今天，我们不知道”不知道会发生什么事情总是更好。港口总裁约阿希姆·科恩斯（Joachim Coens）告诉路透社，因为雾笼罩着码头周围的船只，所以最好知道会发生什么。

EU leaders will meet in Brussels on Wednesday to discuss British Prime Minister Theresa May's request for a Brexit extension until the end of June.

欧盟领导人将于周三在布鲁塞尔举行会晤，讨论英国首相特蕾莎·梅在6月底之前延长英国脱欧的请求。

Coens said the port had set up an online database to allow exporters to notify terminal operators of the arrival of their cargo in the port. Under a no deal exit, Britain would become a third country outside the European Union, requiring every product to be declared.

科恩斯说，该港口已经成立一个允许出口商的在线数据库o通知码头运营商货物到达港口。在没有交易退出的情况下，英国将成为欧盟以外的第三个国家，要求宣布每件产品。

The port has sent multiple warnings to companies trading with Britain via Zeebrugge, instructing them to have the necessary documents and comply with rules governing trade with third countries.

港口已通过Zeebrugge向与英国进行贸易的公司发出多次警告，指示他们拥有必要的文件，并遵守与第三国贸易的规则。

However, this is a six-step process that can take more than 90 days to complete, so exporters due to ship after Friday should have applied at the start of January to ensure their products move without delay.

然而，这是一个六步过程，可能需要90多天才能完成，因此，星期五之后出货的出口商应该在1月初申请，以确保他们的产品毫不拖延地移动。

The port, north of the city of Bruges, plans to block exports without the correct documents. In the case of truck drivers, it will either tell them to park until the certification comes through or merely send them away.

布鲁日市以北的港口计划阻止出口没有正确的文件。在卡车司机的情况下，它会告诉他们停车，直到认证通过或只是将他们送走。

Coens said he was not sure many companies were prepared for a no-deal Brexit, but that he did not expect major chaos at the port if Britain crashes out. Many exporters would be forced to delay shipments until appropriate papers came through.

科恩斯说他不确定很多公司是否准备好了没有交易英国脱欧，但如果英国崩溃，他并没有预料到港口会出现大混乱。许多出口商都是为了在适当的文件通过之前推迟发货。

The port chief said he expected 10-20 percent of planned exports arriving at the port would have problems in the case of a no-deal Brexit.

港口负责人表示他预计到达港口的计划出口的10-20％会出现问题交易脱欧。

Zeebrugge also handles around 1.1 million passengers per year, from cruise liners and a ferry to the English port of Hull.

Zeebrugge每年还处理大约110万名乘客，从邮轮和渡轮到英国赫尔港。