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A new survey by the BCC’s Insights Unit of 1,111 businesses (92% SMEs) shows the urgency for the Government to reset trade relations with the EU is increasing.
The BCC report, assessing the fourth year of Brexit, identifies fresh challenges as regulations continue to diverge, creating further headaches for traders on both sides of the Channel.
The TCA was agreed on Christmas Eve in 2020 to allow tariff-free trade with the EU once Brexit took effect.
But services access is limited by rules on business mobility and only 15% of exporters think the deal is helping them to grow sales with Europe, while 41% disagree.
The BCC has sent the Government its report examining the main issues the TCA is causing for firms with possible solutions to many of the problems.
The survey also found that alongside easier movement of personnel between the UK and EU, 36% of businesses also wanted to see reduced VAT requirements for exports, and a quarter (24%) wanted mutual recognition of professional qualifications.
Businesses said the biggest barriers to exporting they faced were customs procedures and documentation (45%), export documentation (39%), regulations and standards (36%) and tariffs (34%).
Awareness of upcoming changes in trade rules and regulations being made by either the UK or the EU was also alarmingly low, with more than three quarters of firms knowing no details of much of the legislation.
This includes knowledge of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), Border Target Operating Model (BTOM), Safety and Security Declaration Requirements and new rules on business-to-business movements of parcels to Northern Ireland.