Quote:
Originally Posted by jonbxx
If the EU were treating us differently from other third countries, then I think we would have reason to complain but if not, what's the issue? If the EU showing their 'true colours' in applying their rules, that certainly not be a surprise, the EU is a rules based organisation Not everyone seems to think that, they think we are being punished by the EU.
I think there has been a degree of not recognising what the SM and CU gave us and that has only become clear now we are not part of it. It's the non-tariff barriers that are causing the pain. I'm not sure what the answer is - do we concentrate on customers with lower non-tariff barriers/standards going forward?
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Agreed. At the moment we're seeing people struggling to rationalise the logical consequences of what leaving the EU actually means. Some may have read in their newspapers that EU membership generates lots of red tape. So as EU countries are now treating us correctly as a third country, how can they rationalise such behaviour. Perhaps as the EU perhaps being difficult or perhaps even punishing us?
People have grown used to the lack of bureacuracy that being in the single market and customs union provided. They don't realise it was one of the benefits of EU membership and not something a country automatically enjoys.
I think technology has its part to play but the extra costs and delays generated are damaging. There's also the competitiveness factor. If you're based in France, you can grow outside your home country quite easily just by expanding your existing infrastructure. If in the UK, once you want to export to Europe, things go up a notch and you might be looking for EU warehousing. The long-term consequence could see smaller UK companies being picked off by European ones as the UK companies have decided against that bigger leap.