Last week, the Government briefly raised business hopes that some definitive action was imminent in the drawn-out Brexit negotiations, when it said that special meetings of the Cabinet would be held to try to arrive at an agreed position on the way ahead.
Unfortunately, the meetings came and went with the general impression being that a can had been kicked down the road and the hard decisions put off yet again.
This has spurred the Freight Transport Association (FTA) to remind the Government that there are now barely 300 working days to go until the UK leaves the EU.
Deputy CEO James Hookham said: “British businesses have heard enough talking – what’s needed now is a concrete solution to enable all those involved in moving goods and services across the UK’s borders to plan with certainty for a post-Brexit future.”
The Association, which represents more than 16,000 businesses involved in all sectors of the UK’s logistics industry, has written to Prime Minister Theresa May requesting swift agreement on the format and timescales for the UK’s future trading relationships with Europe.
It has urged the Government to take decisive steps to agree the format and parameters of Britain’s future trading relationships with its European neighbours, to ensure that the country can continue to trade efficiently after Brexit.
With the Government repeating that it is seeking the best possible deal for Britain, the FTA is insisting that these vague promises must be replaced with definitive plans.
Business needs confirmation as to the length and nature of the transition period, it pointed out, and the arrangements for trade during that time.
Companies also need to know whether the UK will continue to benefit from current EU trading agreements during the transition; the nature and scale of customs arrangements and tariffs to be used; and the status of EU workers within the UK.
