British Retail Consortium launches ‘tariff roadmap’

The British Retail Consortium has launched its post-Brexit Tariff Roadmap for the next Government, highlighting Britain’s current import trade relationships, as well as the short-term risks and long-term opportunities for the UK’s global trading relationships.

Helen Dickinson, British Retail Consortium chief executive said: “Ensuring the journey ahead is positive for both retailers and consumers and requires an orderly and sequenced Brexit process.

“The first step is to mitigate the risks by securing the continuation of tariff-free trade with the EU, to avoid further upward pressure on food prices. Next, is the need to replicate the EU’s existing deals with developing countries. Only then, should the Government look to realise the opportunities presented by new trading relationships with the rest of the world.”

Created as part of the trade body’s ‘A Fair Brexit for Consumers’ project to support the next Government in ensuring a fair deal for consumers in the EU negotiations, the report argues neither for a hard nor soft Brexit but rather a “smart Brexit” calling on the government to lead an “orderly and sequenced Brexit process”.

Its ‘tariff roadmap’ offers a number of recommendations including placing “tariff-free trading” with the EU as a top priority to ensure that consumers receive the fairest settlement. In addition, it states that the “cliff edge” should be avoided through a transitional arrangement that recognises all goods in free circulation.

It also recommends that existing benefits of EU preferential trade agreements should be secured before pursuing new trade deals and that a UK Generalised Scheme of Preferences should be introduced that is at least as generous as that currently offered by the EU. In addition, it adds that the UK Government should define its independent trade policy early in consultation with UK businesses.