LONDON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th February, 2021) Half of UK exporters are having difficulties in adapting to the new changes in the trade of goods with the European Union following the implementation of the post-Brexit trade deal between the United Kingdom and the bloc on January 1, a survey by the British Chambers of Commerce revealed on Thursday.
The poll of 1,000 firms carried out between January 18-31 showed that 49 percent of exporters, as well as manufacturers, reported issues with the increased paperwork, extra costs, delays in shipment and confusion about what rules to follow.
Commenting on the survey's results, BCC Director General Adam Marshall said that trading business and the UK's chances at a strong economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic "are being hit hard" by the post-Brexit changes.
"The late agreement of a UK-EU trade deal left businesses in the dark on the detail right until the last minute, so it's unsurprising to see that so many businesses are now experiencing practical difficulties on the ground as the new arrangements go live," Marshall said.
The BCC director general also rebutted UK's Prime Minister Boris Johnson's claims that the issues arising from the post-Brexit trade relationship between the UK and the UE are mere "teething problems."
"For some firms these concerns are existential, and go well beyond mere 'teething problems.' It should not be the case that companies simply have to give up on selling their goods and services into the EU," Marshall said, urging the government to do everything they can to fix the problems that are within the UK's own control and increase their outreach to the EU counterpart.
The UK officially left the bloc in January 2020, and negotiators in London and Brussels spent almost all of the year battling over the terms of a new future partnership agreement. After months of wrangling and threats of a no-deal Brexit, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on December 24 that an agreement had been reached, with the new deal coming into force on January 1.
For businesses conducting trade between the UK and the EU, the post-Brexit era has brought in a series of customs checks on goods moving into the bloc. Logistics firms and manufacturers have complained about delays, with further issues expected when the UK introduces its own checks over the coming months.
