Post-Brexit Special: UK business leaders on access to EU talent January 28, 2021 Since the turn of the year, UK companies exporting into the EU have to fill out a set of customs declaration forms and some goods, like agricultural products, have to undergo rigorous checks at the border. This has led to border disruption and delays. These issues are scrutinised in the first instalment of this 2-part [...]
EU and AstraZeneca hold crisis talks to resolve Covid vaccines row January 28, 2021 The EU and UK-based Covid vaccine maker AstraZeneca have vowed to resolve clashes over supply shortages after “constructive” crisis talks. Production issues means that AstraZeneca can deliver only a fraction of the doses promised to the EU in the first quarter of the year, leading to shortages across the 27-member bloc. The EU has remained [...]
Amazon halts alcohol sales in Northern Ireland following new Brexit customs rules January 27, 2021 Online retail giant Amazon has halted sales of wines, beers and spirits in Northern Ireland as it prepares to de-list more products under new Brexit customs rules. The company is concerned that excise duty will now have to be paid twice on alcohol shipments sent from British mainland across the Irish Sea. Amazon suspended orders [...]
City of London chief: Brexit impact ‘not at all catastrophic’ as Square Mile will thrive without EU access January 27, 2021 Brexit’s impact on London’s loss of financial business has not been catastrophic, the chief of the City of London Corporation said this morning. Catherine McGuinness, political leader of the Square Mile’s ruling body, insisted the City will thrive even if the European Union “irrationally” blocks access. London has endured business and job losses since the [...]
Supply chains aren’t what they used to be: disruption is now par for the course January 26, 2021 From the impact of COVID-19, to tariff wars between the US and China, and the uncertainty of Brexit, supply chain risk has become increasingly difficult, and important, to manage. At the same time, increased geopolitical tensions have caused a growing concern about nation state espionage, which has put organisations under pressure from governments to “decouple” their [...]
Post-Brexit Special: Business leaders on the challenges of trading with the EU January 26, 2021 Since the start of the year, a raft of new requirements are making life increasingly difficult for UK businesses that trade with the EU. On the surface, frictionless trade should have continued, but as the UK is no longer part of the EU Single Market and Customs Union, companies have been faced with an increased [...]
TP ICAP loses full EU rights as pandemic disrupts move to French office January 25, 2021 British broker TP ICAP has revealed that it cannot currently serve some European Union clients because Covid-19 has delayed completion of its new Brexit hub in Paris. TP ICAP said that regulators would allow it to continue serving customers from London while it finished preparations in France after the UK’s EU departure concluded. The EU [...]
Believe it or not, post-Brexit VAT doesn’t have to be taxing January 23, 2021 The free trade deal signed by the UK and the EU was supposed to herald a new dawn in the relationship between the two sides. The Free Trade Agreement and the UK’s exit were intended to give us control of our borders, money and laws and therefore promote a dynamism in this country which was [...]
Brexit friction should spark new ideas for retail exports January 23, 2021 Many retailers received a welcome boost during the Covid-19 crisis with a rise in online orders from international markets, but with exports to EU member states facing teething problems in the form of higher costs and processing delays, now’s the time for retailers to broaden their reach and tap into new markets further afield. Research [...]
With Brexit done, the UK must pivot to Africa January 22, 2021 Divorce is painful, and Brexit was as acrimonious a separation as they come. Anglo-European relations will recover in time, but right now the UK needs friends outside of Europe. Boris Johnson knows this, so it was no surprise when he declared his ambition for the UK to be Africa’s investment partner of choice. “We in [...]