Button wrote:Alas, 'tariff free' does not abolish border controls - look no further than the Norway/EU border in, say, Immingham or the Swiss/EU one in, say, Basle. A free trade area doesn't necessarily abolish them either - it didn't in the cases of EFTA or the EEC; 'deep and comprehensive' is interesting, but I wonder if it means continued regulatory alignment.
Not sure that Bob understands this, back in my day when exporting to an EFTA country a form EUR 1 backed up with a commercial invoice swearing that the goods were of EEC then later EU origin had to be stamped and sent forward to destination to ensure no duties/taxes had to be paid.
However the Customs coves at destination still had to be satisfied of the veracity of the documents and goods, therefore no free movement across borders.