LONDON One month after Britain made a New Year split from the European Union s economic embrace, businesses that once traded freely are getting used to frustrating checks, delays and red tape. British meat exporters say shipments have rotted in trucks awaiting European health checks. Scottish fishermen have protested at Parliament over the catch they can no longer sell to the continent because of complex new paperwork. The manufacturers organization Make U.K. said Monday that 60% of manufacturing companies have experienced significant disruption since Jan. 1. The British government says the troubles are teething problems, but companies say they are causing serious pain.
The British government says the troubles are “teething problems but companies say they are causing serious pain.
“A teething problem is something that will go away eventually,” said Alan Russell, who runs plant retailer Trees Online.
New Customs rules and health checks have prompted him to stop shipping to the EU and Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK but remains in the bloc’s economic orbit because it shares a border with EU member Ireland.
“It’s 5 or 10 per cent of my business I have just lost overnight,” Mr Russell said.
“I’m used to a little bit of unpredictability. But this is without doubt the most severe and unpredictable event that I can’t do anything about.”
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