Ports are preparing for delays after concluding that government plans for a free-trade agreement with the European Union after Brexit will have the “same impact as ‘no deal’ in terms of border operations”.

The warning from the British Ports Association, which represents 100 ports nationwide, is a blow to those hoping that a trade deal will deliver frictionless frontiers. All but 5 per cent of British imports and exports are moved by sea and the sector contributes £14.5 billion to the economy, according to the Department for Transport, putting marine gateways on the front line in the event of Brexit complications. The industry employs 186,000 people directly, according to Marine UK, and supports up to a million jobs in total in associated areas, such as