The trade deficit remains far higher than forecast by City economists as British businesses continue to stockpile critical goods and components ahead of a delayed Brexit. The deficit in Q1 this year hit £18.3bn, a record high for any three month period and nearly double the £9.4bn disparity seen in the final quarter of last
By Mike Wilson In my last article writing for Cheshire Media Magazine, I speculated that there could be a delay to Brexit beyond the March 29th planned exit, yet questioned whether giving the politicians more time to argue would make any real difference? Unfortunately, it turns out I was right and we sit here today,
Data from the ONS has revealed that the 5 fastest growing export markets for UK businesses are in Asia. Figures released last month highlighted 40.8% growth in Taiwan, followed by 19.3% export growth in India. Other emerging markets seeing significantly higher growth than the average of 2.7% for UK firms include Nigeria (up 18.3%), Thailand
Over three-quarters of small businesses in the UK feel unsupported ahead of Brexit, according to a new report. A survey carried out by Simply Business uncovered that 76% of the 1,200 small business owners they asked feel like they lack the support they need in the run-up to the UK leaving the European Union, whilst
HMRC has extended the deadline of its customs training fund until 31st May 2019 to help businesses prepare for Brexit. The £8m fund, which was announced in October last year, is designed to help businesses prepare for a no-deal scenario and includes funding to train intermediaries and traders completing customs declarations, IT improvement funding and
Export sales of British beverages reached a new high in February, with demand for Scotch whisky and British gin proving particularly popular with international palates. In total, international sales hit £8.3bn, up 7% on February 2018, marking a doubling of demand in the last 15 years and providing a surpless of £1.6bn. Total service and
A new report has suggested that Brexit has cost the UK economy £550m in lost growth since the referendum in June 2016 – £66bn worse off in just three years. That’s according to Standard & Poor’s Brexit report, which noted the fall in the value of sterling as one of the primary factors affecting potential
The head of bathbomb and scented soap retailer Lush has given an insight into the potential damage a no-deal Brexit could cause to his business. Mark Constantine has lambasted the government’s approach to negotiations and its attitude towards businesses as the firm’s financials took a swung from a £23m profit to £4m operating loss last
Small businesses in Germany are being warned that too many are unprepared for Brexit and the potential disruption the UK leaving the EU will cause native firms. The warning primarily centres on financial services and access to financial products. Banks on the continent have been shifting market-related activities for some of their EU clients, such
UK fish exporters are being urged to sign-up to a new digital catch certificate service to ensure they’re able to continue selling to the EU in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Advice published by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs this month said that businesses should take action now to avoid issues