A UK hauliers' trade body has said that exports from Britain to the European Union (EU) fell by 68 percent last month compared with January 2020.

The trade disruption came after the end of a transition period following Britain's departure from the EU, according to the Road Haulage Association (RHA).

After a survey of its international members, the RHA assessed a significant decrease in the volume of traffic carried on ferries and through the Channel Tunnel and reported its findings to the UK's Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove.

Richard Burnett, the RHA's chief executive, also told the minister how he and his officials had repeatedly warned the government over several months of difficulties and called for measures to ease the problems, but no attention was paid to these.

All through last year, RHA had urged the government to increase the number of customs agents to help firms navigate the extra paperwork, saying the current number of around 10,000 agents is still about a fifth of what is necessary.

Burnett also told The Observer newspaper that about 65 to 75 percent of vehicles arriving from the EU were going back empty.

This was mainly due to a lack of goods, delays on the UK side, and because some UK companies had either temporarily or permanently stopped exporting to the bloc.

READ MORE:

Denmark's $33bn renewable energy island

The toolkit defeating the pangolin poachers

Will soldiers become obsolete?

The government did not confirm the data and said disruption at the border had been minimal since Britain completed its exit from the EU at the end of 2020, following a last-minute trade agreement.

Businesses and hauliers have had to adapt to new trading arrangements since the beginning of the year, including new systems for companies and officials in Northern Ireland.

Some businesses, already affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, have struggled to deal with new paperwork requirements such as customs declarations and health certificates.

"I find it deeply frustrating and annoying that ministers have chosen not to listen to the industry and experts," Burnett told The Observer.

The government said it engages with the sector and does "not recognize the figure provided on exports."

In a statement, the government said "Thanks to the hard work of hauliers and traders to prepare for change, disruption at the border has so far been minimal and freight movements are now close to normal levels, despite the COVID-19 pandemic."