Brits have been warned they could see their supermarket bills soar this year as new red tape on trade with the EU comes into effect.
The alarm was sounded by the British Retail Consortium, which noted that Boris Johnson’s new trade deal has led to the reintroduction of customs checks on the trade of many products between Europe and Britain, as well as goods travelling from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.
Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said that is likely to drive up UK food prices later this year.
She commented: “Global food prices are currently at their highest in seven years, shipping costs have risen threefold since 2019, and commodity prices are climbing.
“We will likely see these costs filter through in the second half of this year, and with the additional Brexit red-tape this autumn, retailers may be forced to pass on some of these costs onto their customers.”
Retail giant Marks & Spencer has reported a sharp rise in costs this year due to Brexit related red-tape.
It expects to pay between £42 million and £47 million in additional costs this year, versus £16 million in 2020.
Reacting to the news Dave Keating, a reporter who covers EU politics in Brussels, reminded people that such red tape does not exist in the EU and is purely a by-product of Brexit, which ironically promised to do away with red tape.
? A reminder, for anyone who needs it, that this is in fact *non-EU red tape*. The red tape that comes from leaving the EU.
— Dave Keating (@DaveKeating) June 2, 2021
Here in the EU we don't have this red tape.https://t.co/MlrUoNMy7y
Others have taken a similar line, with Dr Mike Galsworthy taking umbrage to Express reporting linking the red tape to the EU.
Riddle me this, @Daily_Express …
— Dr Mike Galsworthy (@mikegalsworthy) June 2, 2021
Why does the EU not have this “EU” red tape?
This is a barrelful of Brexit red tape — and it’s impacting supermarket prices, exactly as was predicted five years ago. pic.twitter.com/UcfIanMZRh
Otto English also dug up reports from the same newspaper which claimed food prices would come down after Brexit.
Is this another self-own for the Brexiteers?
How it started Etc. Etc. Etc.
— Otto English (@Otto_English) June 2, 2021
(2016) (2021) pic.twitter.com/E1pIkuNNqF
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