French fruit and vegetable growers fear the introduction of an HGV tax in France from 1 July 2013 could distort competition even further with their counterparts in Spain and Morocco.
The tax will be levied on commercial vehicles of more than 3.5 tonnes at an average rate of €0.12 per km, raising annual revenues estimated at €1.24 billion.
It will affect around 600,000 French trucks and 200,000 foreign-registered vehicles, plying over 12,000 km of French secondary highways - the aim being to encourage shippers to use modes of transport other than road. It will be collected through a satellite-based toll system.
France’s leading road haulage federation, the FNTR, has opposed the tax since it was first mooted, estimating that it will add 5-10% to trucking firms’ operating costs.
The legislation accompanying the tax makes provision for hauliers to pass on the cost to shippers and, ultimately, consumers.
Amendments could see the HGV tax being levied at a lower rate on trucks using France's toll-charging motorways, the preferred choice of long-distance hauliers operating intra-European routes, including those transporting time-sensitive goods such as perishables.
However, it is still likely to be small haulage firms carrying fruit and vegetables for French growers to local and regional markets in France, who will bear the brunt of the tax.
“Without question, this tax will be a handicap to our members, even though for the moment there remains a good deal of uncertainty over the terms and conditions of its application,” Yvon Auffret, the director of fruit and vegetable growers trade body Cerafel, told FPJ.
He estimates that the tax could put up to €50 million on the transport costs of Cerafel's members.
“And this doesn't take into account to costs involved in hauliers' arriving empty to pick up loads,” he underlined.
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