British exporters are still facing serious hardship as a result of Brexit

The UK has started to feel the consequences of leaving the European Union’s customs and regulatory territory. According to data published on Friday by IHS Markit, the fallout from Brexit and the coronavirus pandemic is pushing the UK economy into a sharp contraction in the first quarter.

Analysts also added that the fact that Brexit was agreed on one week before it came into effect has added to the disruption of countless businesses that relied on seamless supply chains.

Freshly caught fish left to rot at ports

Freshly caught fish are reportedly being left to rot as exporters are unable to get them to the European Union. Logistic firms are also skeptical about the viability of importing and exporting for businesses in the long term.

James Withers, chief executive of Scotland Food and Drink commented on the effect of Brexit on his company:

 “This isn’t as simple as an IT glitch that needs fixing. In a matter of days, we went from being able to send fresh food to Madrid with a single cover sheet of paperwork. Now there are roughly 26 steps for each transaction.” He added.

Exporters claim the British government is oblivious to their plight

Despite the government’s claims during Brexit negotiations that the fishing industry at the top of its priority list, there is a real fear that the entire industry could collapse in a matter of weeks.

When asked for comments, a UK government spokesperson said: “From the outset, we were clear that we would be leaving the customs union and single market which meant that there would be new processes after the end of the Transition Period. These were widely communicated through our public information campaign.”

The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson remarked that he “thinks these are merely teething issues” and not the fault of Brexit or the barriers it’s created.