"Importers are faced with week-long delays and increased demurrage costs at the port of Felixstowe because of container scanning delays.

Freight forwarders and customs agents said the UK Border Agency (UKBA) was taking seven days to process selected containers rather the normal 24 hours because of problems with scanning equipment and a lack of UKBA operatives.

"Last week, there was a backlog of 400 containers and various people were jumping up and down, " said one customs agent and freight forwarder."

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