The Independent reported that a British Chambers of Commerce survey found customs frictions remain a concern for UK firms seeking to grow in the European Union, with majorities of manufacturers and exporters flagging them.
The poll covered around 1,500 businesses. When asked what would help them expand, more than a third pointed to time lost at customs and documentation demands. The share was 58% among manufacturers and 56% among exporters. Separately, 42% of exporters said tariffs, quotas or rules of origin limited their ability to build business in the EU.
The British Chambers of Commerce represents thousands of firms through local chambers. BCC Director General Shevaun Haviland said companies had adapted to Brexit but still bore costs from paperwork, delays and duplicated bureaucracy. Those costs sit with businesses managing trade across the bloc.
Haviland cited rising protectionism and the EU's changing industrial policy as reasons businesses should reassess the UK's relationship with the EU. She said UK firms should follow evidence in judging which relationship would best support trade, investment and growth. The BCC saw multiple possible routes for the UK's future relationship with the EU. “There are many different routes we can take,” Haviland said.
Haviland said the BCC had begun gathering views on future EU trade from tens of thousands of businesses in its network. UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has criticized the existing Brexit agreement, saying it set tougher terms for Britain than voters had been promised at the referendum, The Independent reported. The Independent reported that at the summit, Burnham wants to advance arrangements covering food and drink, emissions trading and youth mobility. He has also pledged to outline how the UK will assess its long-term relationship with the EU, while wider options would be examined later. Burnham is due in Brussels for the summit on Nov. 20.
