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Ports in Kent will be able to trade freely with Europe after an eleventh hour Brexit deal dropping tariffs and quotas was agreed, according to reports.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to address the nation this morning outlining the major breakthrough bringing to an end the four-year wrangle to secure an agreement for the UK to leave the European Union.
Late night talks continued in Brussels throughout the night with reports saying minor details were being ironed out in a 2,000-page legal document.
A free-trade agreement between the UK and EU has been agreed meaning goods will be able to travel without tariffs and quotas to Ireland and the continent.
Fishing rules have also been agreed – a major sticking point during the long-winded discussions – giving the UK full control over rules for its waters, one of the key arguments in the lead up to the 2016 referendum.
A deadlock has been broken between the negotiating teams over EU demands to hit British goods with tariffs if foreign boats are banned from UK waters, reports said.
It is also understood the final details being agreed related to rules on the species of fish which could be caught.
Mr Johnson is due to speak with president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen to confirm the historic deal this morning before holding a press conference or issuing a statement.
He also spoke with senior ministers on a conference call late last night as pizza boxes were seen arriving at the EU headquarters in Brussels.
The agreement will see Britain cut ties with the rules and laws set out by Brussels to its member states.
European Commission spokesman Eric Mamer said: "Work will continue throughout the night. Grabbing some sleep is recommended to all Brexit watchers at this point.
"It will hopefully be an early start tomorrow morning."
He also posted a picture of pizza boxes on the table for teams working through the night.
It is hoped the agreed trade deal will not lead to a repeat of the chaotic scenes in Dover this week.
Many feared the backlog caused by the French imposing a travel ban in response to the emergence of a highly transmissible new strain of coronavirus was a dry-run for what was to come from January 1.
But passport and customs checks will still have to be managed.
A huge temporary lorry park at Manston Airport – which is full with 4,000 lorries – is part of the response to handle port congestion.
Last night tins of food and bottles of beer were being thrown over fences to stranded truckers unable to board ferries and trains to get home for Christmas.
The government has also planned two customs checks areas at Ebbsfleet and a hugely controversial one just off the M20 in Ashford.
Details of the deal will be scrutinised by the European Research Group which is set to convene its 'Star Chamber' committee to pore over the details, chairman David Jones MP said.
French sources reportedly claimed the UK had made “huge concessions”, especially on fisheries, PA reported.
An agreed deal must be agreed through parliament with Labour expected to support it after leader Sir Keir Starmer said it was in the national interest to leave with a deal.
