Since I seem to recall you’re in Brussels, you surely must remember Michel Barnier called it a “lose-lose” deal. Indeed it’s interesting to see how it plays out “on the ground”.
European friends may want to look at these threads. https://omegaforums.net/threads/has...rchase-from-the-eu-for-more-than-£135.125415/ https://omegaforums.net/threads/has...rchase-from-the-eu-for-more-than-£135.125415/ M. Barnier was not wrong. It's not just about personal transactions incurring VAT and smaller businesses asphyxiated by paperwork - you now have big retailers planning to re-locate major distribution hubs from UK to EU. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55997641
Shipping anything, including cheap items to EU from here (UK), has became problematic. Looks really like a special interest is now taken to punish imports from UK. Will probably smoothen up with time
Tariffs are the norm in international trade. If I buy a watch from Japan or the US, I — and all other EU residents— have to pay import taxes of 20% plus administrative fees. The EEC then EU was created to facilitate trade by eliminating tariffs and red tape, and to allow people, goods, and financial flows to move freely in a seamless trade area. The idea being that being bound together would create common ties and interests that would make wars impossible in Europe. it has worked. Europe and the Western world enjoyed unprecedented peace and prosperity as a result. You remove the EU means you revert back to the old system of tariffs, import taxes and red tape.
I'm afraid there are rarely any winners in any type of divorce. Nobody was going to be better alone or with fewer family members. Unfortunately, as often the case, children, in this case the younger generation, are the one having to pay the decisions of their parents. It is always harder to face a new situation or rebuild oneself, when fake news or false hopes were given rather than facts. I am a strong believer of Belgium national motto... "L'Union fait la force" It is a pity for all involved parties, one cannot leave a club but wish to profit of its membership benefits. The club should obviously aim to build a new partnership, but as respect to its members, could not offer better terms to non-members. Processes "in the ground" will adapt, and after a normal discovery phase, things will go back to a more efficient status. Though, additional costs related to new services and procedures will remain, they will just be streamlined/optimised.
https://www.ft.com/content/5b8028a7-edaf-4488-8e96-3761ba8b015f the said figures re Brexit are staring to show up.
