Company bosses from some of the UK’s leading firms have warned UK Brexit negotiators against brinkmanship as talks look set to resume following a stand-still earlier this week. 

As Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen were called in to bridge a gap both negotiation parties were struggling to close, business leaders have warned that firms are already overwhelmed by dealing with the ongoing pandemic and that clarity on trading arrangements with the EU are urgently needed with just weeks to go.

Deputy director of the CBI, Josh Hardie, commented on the latest talks: “We always knew the political leaders would have to step in. It is essential they do that. The political brinkmanship and delay is paid for by communities.” 

Less than a month ago, leading UK business groups from across industry sectors urged Brexit negotiators to find compromises and find agreement in a bid to avoid a no-deal exit on January 1st. 

Over 70 groups, representing millions of workers from across automotive, aviation, chemical pharma, tech and FinTech sectors have been alarmed by the stop-start nature of talks, and have warned that securing an agreement with just days until Brexit for real ‘matters greatly for jobs and livelihoods’. 

A poll last month by the Institute of Directors showed nearly one in four companies would not be ready for the end of the transition period, whilst only half said they were fully prepared. Preparations have without a doubt been hampered by the ongoing pandemic, with smaller firms, in particular, struggling to juggle both the immediate threat of Covid and the upcoming impact of Brexit. 

Read more: Over 40% of importing & exporting SMEs have made no preparations for Brexit

Richard Torbett, CEO of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, commented then that: “With each day that passes, business resilience is chipped away.”

“It is absolutely clear that it’s in nobody’s interest — and certainly not patients — to face the future with uncertainty around how medicines will be regulated, tested and moved throughout Europe and the UK.

If your organisation is one of the thousands who have been unable to fully prepare for Brexit, then our Brexit FastTrack service could help you #BeBrexitReady, and fast. Find out more here.

At the time of writing, there are just 33 days until the end of the transition period. And whilst 2020 has been incredibly difficult for businesses across sectors, Brexit will wait for no company. 

Research recently released from Aldermore found that 47% of SMEs who import goods and services from the EU have made no Brexit preparations, whilst 43% of small firms who export into the EU have yet to act either. 

Group managing director of business finance at Aldermore, Tim Boag, commented on the findings that: “2020 has been an extremely difficult year for SMEs, as many have been profoundly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. 

“With the Brexit transition period coming to an end on 31 December, businesses who trade with the EU now face a new set challenges, particularly if there is no-deal. Tariffs could be introduced on many imports and exports, which will have an impact on costs for businesses, and even if a trade deal is agreed there’s still likely to be significant changes to prepare for, such as additional checks and documentation on goods as required by both the UK and the EU.”

The average SME derives around 30% of their revenues from business and customers in the EU, and one in four small business owners say the think Brexit will worsen the economic trauma already faced in mitigating the pandemic. However, only 15% think there will be supply chain issues, despite some UK ports already struggling this winter to deal with Christmas demand. 

Read more: Visit our free Brexit Knowledge Bank for free Brexit downloads, webinars and advice

“Our research reveals that many SMEs are generally unprepared for Brexit or are delaying plans to address the impact until after the end of the transition period. Whilst the delay in preparing for Brexit is understandable given the ongoing impact of the pandemic, the potential wide-ranging effects of Brexit on many businesses means it’s crucial that SMEs begin to take steps to prepare,” Boag continued.

“Businesses should consult the Government’s guidance for SMEs post-Brexit and work out how VAT, tax and duty, and other regulatory changes will impact them and their supply chain.  Aldermore has created a Brexit hub with key information for businesses to help SMEs best prepare for the transition and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.”

If your business is one of the many who has yet to properly prepare for Brexit, now really is the time to act. At Go Exporting, we’ve developed a Brexit FastTrack service which will deliver a comprehensive Brexit impact review and transition plan for your business. Prices start from just £950 – find out more here.

This month (November) we hosted a webinar as part of Business Wales’ Excelerator Consortium’s growth programme looking at how the Brexit Transition will affect business strategy.

Watch the full webinar below, and learn more on the Excelerator Consortium’s YouTube channel here.

Learn more about preparing your business with our free Brexit Knowledge Bank, or seek a fast, cost-effective audit with our Brexit FastTrack service.

Over the last few months we’ve joined Business Wales for a webinar series supporting local companies to navigate Brexit and the road ahead. 

This episode looks at the upcoming end to the EU transition period and asks whether your business is ready.

What are the implications at the end of the transition period?
How do you identify the specific challenges to your business?
How do you address the challenges and maintain your exports, and what are the opportunities and how can you make the most of them?

Watch the webinar in full below and watch even more great business advice content over on Business Wales’ YouTube channel here.

Watch more Brexit webinars and learn more about how your business can prepare in our free-to-access Brexit Knowledge Bank.

The National Audit Office has warned in a new report that it is ‘very unlikely’ that every company that deals in UK/EU trade will be fully prepared for the end of the transition period, saying that flaws in the Government’s Brexit planning will likely lead to significant disruption. 

The report says that a lot of attention has been paid to firms importing from the Single Market with the Government looking to ease administrative burdens on UK firms and that it won’t be applying full import controls from January first – even if a free trade agreement has been established before then. 

This will support businesses importing goods from Europe, but less attention has been given to UK companies who primarily deal in exports into the Single Market, with the National Audit Office warning that a ‘reasonable worst-case scenario’ could see anywhere from 40% – 70% of lorries not being ready to meet EU customs requirements. 

Read more: UK auto firms spend £735m on Brexit preparations, warn of no-deal damage

The National Audit Office said with its’ report that: “Despite the funding being committed by government, there remains significant uncertainty about whether preparations will be complete in time, and the impact if they are not.”

The British Exporters Association agrees with this assessment, noting that the Government has prioritised imports and that exporters have encountered poor communications with guidance lacking detail or definition – even misleading. 

Is your business fully prepared for Brexit? See how our Brexit Audit services can help you get Brexit-ready. For more news and insights, check out our Brexit Knowledge Bank.

Automotive firms in the UK have spent over £735 million preparing for Brexit, with over £235m already having been invested this year.

That’s according to research from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), which published its figures alongside a last-minute plea fo the Government to agree a zero-tariff, zero-quota trade agreement with the EU.

It says a no-deal scenario could cost the UK auto industry almost £50bn over the next five years.

Mike Hawes, chief executive of SMMT, commented that: “As the UK-EU FTA (free trade agreement) negotiations enter the endgame, now is the time for both sides to deliver on promises to safeguard the automotive industry.

“Securing a deal is absolutely critical but it cannot be any deal.

“To work for UK automotive, it must deliver for UK products and that means securing the right terms and conditions that allow our exports – now and in the future – to be zero-tariff and zero-quota trade.”

Read more: Irish firms struggling to get to grips with Brexit customs requirements as Covid hampers preparation efforts

“A deal that failed to achieve this would be the equivalent to no deal at all, devastating jobs and slamming the brakes on the UK’s ambitions to be a world-leading manufacturer and market for electrified mobility and battery technologies.”

SMMT reports that 67% of companies across the auto sector are doing everything they can to prepare for new Brexit processes come January 1st next year, whilst seven in 10 have secured new identification numbers.

Is your business fully prepared for Brexit? See how our Brexit Audit services can help you get Brexit-ready. For more news and insights, check out our Brexit Knowledge Bank.

Over half of Irish businesses have admitted they’re struggling to understand new customs clearance procedures that are due to come into effect next year. 

That’s according to a survey by customs clearance service Declaron, which quizzed 300 Irish firms on their Brexit preparedness. 

The survey also found that nine in 10 medium to large companies had seen Brexit preparations hit by Covid management, with 37% overall saying they have yet to start planning for the UK’s departure from the single market at all. 

Declaron CEO, Michael Nolan, commented on the survey results that: “There are certain steps that every business must now take to be able to import and export with effect from January 1 and inaction now puts the efficiency of their trading with the UK at risk.”

Nolan urged firms to not stop their preparations given that Brexit with delivering ‘guaranteed tasks’ what Irish businesses will need to deal within just a few weeks time – predominantly in the form of creating and submitting customs declarations. 

Read more: Canada or Australia – what are the benefits and shortfalls of each type of trade deal?

Carol Lynch, Declaron director and partner in BDO warned that Irish firms are sleepwalking into a ‘trade agreement trap’. 

“Even when a Trade Agreement is concluded, there will still be a requirement for import and export declarations. The agreement only means that customs duties may not be payable. Compliance obligations actually increase rather than decrease. The delay in the service agreement being finalised cannot be seen as reason to delay preparations.”
Is your business fully prepared for Brexit? See how our Brexit Audit services can help you get Brexit-ready. For more news and insights, check out our Brexit Knowledge Bank.

The UK and Japan have put pen to paper on a trade deal that will allow tariff-free exports for 99% of British goods.

It’s the first major trade deal signed by the Government following the Brexit vote with international trade minister, Liz Truss said it’s a sign of future potential.

The main benefits for UK businesses include tariff-free exports, beneficial rules of origin interpretation for UK manufacturers, improved access for the UK’s financial services sector, and digital & data provisions which make it easier for UK firms to operate in Japan.

The main stumbling block had reportedly been stilton cheese which, upon signing the agreement, Truss presented to Japanese minister of foreign affairs Affairs Motegi Toshimitsu.

Truss said on the trade deal that: “It used to be said that an independent UK would not be able to strike major trade deals or they would take years to conclude. But today we prove the naysayers wrong with this ground-breaking, British-shaped deal that was agreed in record time.”

Read more: Canada or Australia – what are the benefits and shortfalls of each type of trade deal?

Whilst the new trade agreement is likely to contribute less than a 0.1% rise in GDP according to the government’s own analysis, the signing of the agreement is strategically important and could help lead the way in the UK’s bid to become a member of the Trans-Pacific Partnership – allowing easier trade and access to Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Malaysia, and other Pacific Rim nations.

Meanwhile, intensified talks with the EU over a free trade agreement continue and remains the priority for the majority of UK businesses, with EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier noting that ‘every day counts’ as the countdown to the end of the transition period ticks on.

How prepared for Brexit is your organisation? #BeBrexitReady with our free advice, resources, and webinars in our Brexit Knowledge Bank.

Earlier this month we joined Business Wales for a webinar series supporting local companies to navigate Brexit and the road ahead. 

This episode looks at working with agents and distributors, looking at the difference between the two and which is best, how to find the right distributors or agents, managing your partner, whether to go exclusive or non-exclusive and how Brexit will affect partnerships and arrangements moving forward. 
Watch the webinar in full below and watch even more great business advice content over on Business Wales’ YouTube channel here.