Brexit: One month later
2/2/21 11:32![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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talkpoliticsA month has passed since the UK has left the united European market and the customs union, shaking up trade relations on the continent to the core.
While the worst expectations for huge lines of trucks at the British ports, food shortages at the stores, etc did not come to pass, lots of companies are warning that they're still struggling to adapt to the new agreements stemming from the trade deal with the EU.
There are about half a dozen sectors that are most affected, and where the difficulties are most acutely felt in the transition period after Brexit. Some of these problems could become chronic unless they're addressed properly.
Agriculture and fishing is the most obvious example. That production cannot be stored long-term, and in the meantime it usually requires some serious bureaucratic processing for exports and imports. Angry British fishermen are saying they had been betrayed by Boris Johnson when he was signing the UK/EU trade deal, and now they're struggling to export their production. Indeed, until a month ago they were able to just load their fish on trucks, and deliver it to the EU markets on the very next day - and now they have to fill loads of customs declarations, health certificates for exports and push tons of red tape.
The British government has announced a compensation package of 23 million pounds, but the long-term effects of the new border burdens remain unclear. The Seafood Scotland organisation has announced the exports to the EU were halted due to the huge bureaucratic load.
British farmers, in turn, had to throw out vast quantities of meat that was rotting inside lorries and ports across the country, since the customs officers of the EU said the produce didn't have proper exports certificates. The national shepherd association has announced the new documentation increases the price by 1.2 pounds per sheep that they send to the EU market. The British farmers are also complaining of cheap EU imports due to their government's decision not to pursue full customs checks for EU imports until July.
British customers who usually buy EU goods have found out that life outside the united market is causing significant friction and extra costs. Several large logistics companies, including DHL, DPD and DB Schenker, were compelled to suspend trans-border delivery services, to allow time for adapting to the new customs bureaucracy. Sure, all services were later restored, but many customers were bewildered to discover that there were now extra costs for delivery, including a VAT on goods exceeding 135 pounds, plus processing fees.
The social media are flooded with complaints about purchases that have arrived with some extra "sting" included. The bad thing is, there's no established policy to regulate this, and this is likely to remain for quite a while.
The new agreements on Northern Ireland, part of the UK/EU deal, have quickly caused problems as well, some stores in NI remaining with empty shells due to shortages. Bureaucracy is again the main culprit for the delayed deliveries. Customers are complaining that the Brexit protocol that has allowed for NI to keep following all EU customs rules means they'll be unable to get some products from the UK, such as plants and seeds. The protocol is aiming to avoid a hard border across Ireland, but it now requires customs checks across the Irish Sea for goods traveling from the UK to Northern Ireland.
Leading members of the pro-British Democratic Unionist Party, the largest group at the Ulster parliament, has called for the abolition of the protocol, due to its negative impact on trade flows.
The Northern Irish Retail Consortium is saying many of the initial problems have been solved, but also admits the real test will come in April, when the 3-month period for sorting out all documentation on animal and plant products expires. The trade volumes will have increased by then, while new rules will be setting in, which requires maximum flexibility.
The stores across NI have complained that the protocol "has failed to work" without a longer initial period, and they're calling for renewed negotiations, and a new agreement between the UK and EU to replace the current "failed" one.
Pressure on the EU to allow for more flexibility in applying the protocol has increased lately, and the European Commission itself has infamously taken steps toward abusing it, to prevent the exports of Covid-19 vaccines produced in the EU, a decision that Brussels swiftly walked back on, as it naturally caused outrage in London, Belfast and Dublin.
As for the smaller businesses in the UK, they're doing their best to adapt to the new trade rules, especially given the rising expenses, new delivery fees and customs fees. Many have found out that goods that are imported in the EU and then exported to the EU are being loaded with customs fees, making the UK unviable as a trade hub. This is pushing companies to set up distribution storages in the EU at the expense of British jobs.
Ironically, Samantha Cameron, wife of David Cameron who triggered the Brexit referendum in 2016, has recently told the BBC that her fashion business, mostly dealing with EU customers, has been struggling immensely after Brexit. And she's not alone in this. Lots of small businesses in the UK have announced temporary suspension of their EU-bound exports, as they've only now found out what's really required as per the new trade agreements.
The services sector has suffered a lot from the Covid-19 pandemic, and the effect of Brexit on professional services wasn't so noticeable until now. But now these businesses have started to come to the realisation that they'll have to provide visas and work permits if they're to go on working with the EU.
British pop stars like Elton John, Sting and others have pleaded with the British government for help, now that they've lost their ability to move freely across the EU. In an open letter to The Times, signed by 100+ British artists, they're saying the government has "shamefully failed" the entertainment industry during the negotiations with the EU.
Similarly to other services sectors in the UK, including conference and fashion show organisers, the British musicians now need work permits in some EU countries. These add extra costs to the organisation of tours, and then there's also all the bureaucracy on transportation and equipment movement.
The British companies are worried that their services engineers will find it difficult to travel to the EU, given the absence of mutual recognition of their professional qualifications. All these problems are bound to surface in full force, once the Covid lockdowns start to get lifted eventually. Once the pandemic dust has settled, Britons will see the full picture of what they've brought upon themselves, and they're not going to like it.
While the worst expectations for huge lines of trucks at the British ports, food shortages at the stores, etc did not come to pass, lots of companies are warning that they're still struggling to adapt to the new agreements stemming from the trade deal with the EU.
There are about half a dozen sectors that are most affected, and where the difficulties are most acutely felt in the transition period after Brexit. Some of these problems could become chronic unless they're addressed properly.
Agriculture and fishing is the most obvious example. That production cannot be stored long-term, and in the meantime it usually requires some serious bureaucratic processing for exports and imports. Angry British fishermen are saying they had been betrayed by Boris Johnson when he was signing the UK/EU trade deal, and now they're struggling to export their production. Indeed, until a month ago they were able to just load their fish on trucks, and deliver it to the EU markets on the very next day - and now they have to fill loads of customs declarations, health certificates for exports and push tons of red tape.
The British government has announced a compensation package of 23 million pounds, but the long-term effects of the new border burdens remain unclear. The Seafood Scotland organisation has announced the exports to the EU were halted due to the huge bureaucratic load.
British farmers, in turn, had to throw out vast quantities of meat that was rotting inside lorries and ports across the country, since the customs officers of the EU said the produce didn't have proper exports certificates. The national shepherd association has announced the new documentation increases the price by 1.2 pounds per sheep that they send to the EU market. The British farmers are also complaining of cheap EU imports due to their government's decision not to pursue full customs checks for EU imports until July.
British customers who usually buy EU goods have found out that life outside the united market is causing significant friction and extra costs. Several large logistics companies, including DHL, DPD and DB Schenker, were compelled to suspend trans-border delivery services, to allow time for adapting to the new customs bureaucracy. Sure, all services were later restored, but many customers were bewildered to discover that there were now extra costs for delivery, including a VAT on goods exceeding 135 pounds, plus processing fees.
The social media are flooded with complaints about purchases that have arrived with some extra "sting" included. The bad thing is, there's no established policy to regulate this, and this is likely to remain for quite a while.
The new agreements on Northern Ireland, part of the UK/EU deal, have quickly caused problems as well, some stores in NI remaining with empty shells due to shortages. Bureaucracy is again the main culprit for the delayed deliveries. Customers are complaining that the Brexit protocol that has allowed for NI to keep following all EU customs rules means they'll be unable to get some products from the UK, such as plants and seeds. The protocol is aiming to avoid a hard border across Ireland, but it now requires customs checks across the Irish Sea for goods traveling from the UK to Northern Ireland.
Leading members of the pro-British Democratic Unionist Party, the largest group at the Ulster parliament, has called for the abolition of the protocol, due to its negative impact on trade flows.
The Northern Irish Retail Consortium is saying many of the initial problems have been solved, but also admits the real test will come in April, when the 3-month period for sorting out all documentation on animal and plant products expires. The trade volumes will have increased by then, while new rules will be setting in, which requires maximum flexibility.
The stores across NI have complained that the protocol "has failed to work" without a longer initial period, and they're calling for renewed negotiations, and a new agreement between the UK and EU to replace the current "failed" one.
Pressure on the EU to allow for more flexibility in applying the protocol has increased lately, and the European Commission itself has infamously taken steps toward abusing it, to prevent the exports of Covid-19 vaccines produced in the EU, a decision that Brussels swiftly walked back on, as it naturally caused outrage in London, Belfast and Dublin.
As for the smaller businesses in the UK, they're doing their best to adapt to the new trade rules, especially given the rising expenses, new delivery fees and customs fees. Many have found out that goods that are imported in the EU and then exported to the EU are being loaded with customs fees, making the UK unviable as a trade hub. This is pushing companies to set up distribution storages in the EU at the expense of British jobs.
Ironically, Samantha Cameron, wife of David Cameron who triggered the Brexit referendum in 2016, has recently told the BBC that her fashion business, mostly dealing with EU customers, has been struggling immensely after Brexit. And she's not alone in this. Lots of small businesses in the UK have announced temporary suspension of their EU-bound exports, as they've only now found out what's really required as per the new trade agreements.
The services sector has suffered a lot from the Covid-19 pandemic, and the effect of Brexit on professional services wasn't so noticeable until now. But now these businesses have started to come to the realisation that they'll have to provide visas and work permits if they're to go on working with the EU.
British pop stars like Elton John, Sting and others have pleaded with the British government for help, now that they've lost their ability to move freely across the EU. In an open letter to The Times, signed by 100+ British artists, they're saying the government has "shamefully failed" the entertainment industry during the negotiations with the EU.
Similarly to other services sectors in the UK, including conference and fashion show organisers, the British musicians now need work permits in some EU countries. These add extra costs to the organisation of tours, and then there's also all the bureaucracy on transportation and equipment movement.
The British companies are worried that their services engineers will find it difficult to travel to the EU, given the absence of mutual recognition of their professional qualifications. All these problems are bound to surface in full force, once the Covid lockdowns start to get lifted eventually. Once the pandemic dust has settled, Britons will see the full picture of what they've brought upon themselves, and they're not going to like it.
(no subject)
Date: 2/2/21 10:25 (UTC)The Brexiters have to own it as a mistake before we can move on; and that they cannot do.
Admitting being catastrophically wrong just isn't the way any human in power does things. When you have won the argument and then viewed the ruins of your society because you won the argument obviously you have to blame immigrants. Or allies of Black folk tearing down statues of slavers. Or the Cassandras among us who told you so.
Union with Scotland goes next. The right in the UK collaborated with Uncle Vlad's minions to destroy us as an international force for the foreseeable future. With their right-wing allies they have undermined all of the nations in the five eyes network. This is, quite possibly, the greatest intelligence victory of all time; and it has completely destroyed the UK as an international force. And our government and allies cannot see it because to do so would be admitting things to the public that would have the government hanged en masse.
Of course the blowback will be severe. When it no longer matters, obvs.
(no subject)
Date: 2/2/21 10:58 (UTC)^This.
I've been paying attention to Brexit from across the pond and it seems like it was sold to the British working-class as a way of protecting UK jobs from immigrants, the old "let's stir up racism and xenophobia to get the poor people to fight each other instead of coming after us" game the rich folks in power like to play. I would have a bit more sympathy if I didn't see some Brexit supporters who are virulently racist/nationalist. It's not dissimilar to over here where Trump stirred up poor rural white folks to vote against their self-interests (lining the pockets of the rich even more; cutting social services spending). "Let's you and him fight" is a game as old as time and people keep falling for it and can't see through it, and are still willing to lay the blame at the feet of anyone other than the ones running the game.
(no subject)
Date: 2/2/21 11:25 (UTC)Oh wait...
(no subject)
Date: 2/2/21 18:46 (UTC)Uncle Vlad has removed one of the West’s castles from the board. What will remain will not be enough to maintain the old geopolitical order and the West’s (and Aus/NZ) international policies will have to undergo strategic modification. He is, of course, entirely sensible in attempting to cosy up to China; but Uncle Vlad’s personal responsibility in destabilising three of China’s biggest captive markets, the ones that were fuelling and funding the new Great Leap Forward, may just have made him a few enemies among the party echelons.
However, we’re fucked, America will take time to rebuild, the EU doesn’t have a sensibly unified security force; and if he didn’t have problems at home he could have installed more puppet regimes in the old Soviet nations, pushing his effective borders back to Hungary.
After he’s suppressed the riots and reopened the gulags, obvs.
(no subject)
Date: 2/2/21 10:54 (UTC)Let them eat cake.
(no subject)
Date: 2/2/21 11:03 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2/2/21 11:38 (UTC)I too have little sympathy for stupidity. I have even less for the folk who gaslighted the stupid. And if the stupid folk turn on those who did this to them, I'm not going to grieve overmuch.
Alas, it never works like that. No doubt I'll be in the tumbril on the way to the block rather than the folk who put us in this mess.
(no subject)
Date: 2/2/21 11:05 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2/2/21 11:48 (UTC)When the Union with Scotland goes things will change. England will become a nation like Italy or Spain; more than 50m pop and just about a top 20 nation in terms of influence, prestige, and power.
We have even screwed up our cultural industries with Brexit - the things we thought we could always rely on: music, art, telly, theatre...
This has been small-minded in the extreme; the triumph of English Poujadism.
(no subject)
Date: 2/2/21 11:23 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2/2/21 11:33 (UTC)I wish.