Data published 22 March by UK Food & Drink Federation showed exports of food & drink to the EU from the UK dropped by more than 75 per cent in January. There was a 40 per cent decline in exports overall, and business leaders are saying that this is almost entirely due to Brexit. A British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) survey showed that about half the UK’s exporters were experiencing serious problems with their trade with the EU because of increased documentation, higher costs and delays to shipments. The outgoing president of the BCC said the damge to business was structural, not temporary. Our Somerset business correspondent has been tracking Brexit’s impact since the start of the year. Look out for his next article to be published in the next few days.
