UK exports hit by EU and US tariffs
Despite the tariff-free deal agreed with the EU, up to £3.5bn of British exports have already had taxes applied and the US has introduced new tariffs worth $2bn on European goods, including products from the UK.
British goods worth billions of pounds, accounting for about 10% of British expor...
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Swiss harden position in EU market access talks with the BLOC
Last Wednesday, Switzerland announced its withdrawal from negotiations on closer ties with the EU, after failing to reach agreement on wages and immigration.
The move by the Swiss government to withdraw from negotiations on a single encompassing “framework agreement” may result i...
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SME eCommerce sellers hit by EU VAT changes – how will this effect trading with the BLOC ?
About 26,000 eCommerce sellers will have to register for VAT for the first time, under the EU’s new “one-stop shop” system and face £180m in additional red tape costs.
On 1st July 2021, the European Union is introducing sweeping reforms to the VAT obligations for B2C e-commerce sel...
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The outsourcer’s outsourcers
We have been providing outsourcing services since our inception 40 years ago and this critical service has grown over four decades, with the development of our UK and two international business process outsource (BPO) operations.
Metro has spent 40 years managing and transforming the outsource...
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UK launching regional trade hubs, but Freeports face tariffs
The government is creating four regional trade and investment hubs to boost economic growth across the UK, but post-Brexit trade agreements with 23 different countries include clauses that exclude manufacturers in the Freeport’s from the deals. Whoops-a-daisy Liz Truss!
The hubs will be...
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Using rules of origin effectively
Rules of origin determine where goods originate from and which are covered in preference agreements. It is not just where goods have been shipped or bought from, with the potential for multiple origins to consider and there can be severe financial penalties for getting it wrong.
The origin is ...
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Food exporters highlight one of Brexit’s biggest impacts
This stunning article from The Grocer highlights the massive impact that the post-Brexit free trade agreement has had on one of our most vital business sectors.
Food exporters have spent a total of 58 years filling out export health certificates so far this year as a result of the new post-Bre...
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Many UK exporters continuing to struggle with European trade post Brexit
Despite the UK economy edging 0.4% higher in February, helped by a partial rebound in trade with the EU as exporters learnt to deal with new Brexit border restrictions, many more are having to dramatically change their business model, or have simply stopped exporting to the bloc.
In ...
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EU reduce ‘red-tape’ but food exporters face new barriers
The EU is to drop ‘Meursing codes’ from import declarations for manufactured food products coming from the UK in a major reduction of post-Brexit red tape, but new EU legislation covering multi-ingredient food products is expected to increase UK export health certificates by up to 3...
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Security surcharge on air cargo trucked from UK to EU gateway airports
Airlines are imposing security charges for cargo arriving from the UK on road feeder services for flights out of European hub airports.
Following the end of the post-Brexit transition period in January, EU law no longer recognises feeder trucked cargo from the UK as air cargo secure, and requi...
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Latest market update ; The new EU trading relationship
While the EU/UK vaccine spat has underlined the interconnectivity of supply chains, Boris Johnson is putting an invisible trade barrier between France and the UK and 25% of UK SMEs have stopped exporting to the EU altogether.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is...
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Brexit simplification offers VAT cashflow benefits not only for EU shipments but also for non-EU shipments
Postponed VAT Accounting (PVA) was devised ahead of Brexit, to avoid the negative cash flow impact of an additional VAT bill at the EU/UK border.
Since 1st January 2021, businesses registered for VAT that import goods into the UK from anywhere in the world - and not just the EU - can use...
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