11th November 2020
UK government still hasn’t produced a lorry drivers’ guide
The UK government has still not produced a guide for foreign lorry drivers needing to drive into Britain - with less than five working weeks to go before Britain is...
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6th November 2020
China’s Australian import ban reveals UK trade advisor’s poor judgement
China's ban on Australian imports reflect badly on the judgement of former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, recently appointed by the UK government as a Trade Adviser. Chinese importers were advised...
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24th May 2017
EU announces Brexit talks to start around June 19 as UK threatens walk-out
The EU's General Affairs Council agreed its timetable and directives for Britain's exit negotiations on May 22, as the major UK and EU negotiators appeared to take strongly conflicting positions...
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22nd May 2017
Britain’s surprisingly hidden boom in apparel exports
When it comes to apparel-making in Britain, there's one thing we all think we know: there isn't very much of it. But Britain's official trade statistics seem to tell a...
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24th April 2017
April’s new-found pragmatism drives May to June election
On April 18, Britain's Prime Minster, Theresa May, called a general election for June 8. Throughout March and April, the British government had begunn grasping the sheer scale of the...
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7th April 2017
The Brexit and Trump kamikaze wings are trying to kill businesses
Brexit and the Trump Revolution are often linked. What really unites them is the extraordinarily uncommercial attitude many of their politicians are taking to what real businesses want. They differ...
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31st March 2017
Post-Brexit customs chaos could choke UK apparel retailers
On 29 March, Britain's Prime Minister signed a letter triggering the two-year process for leaving the European Union (EU). Though the negotiations will cover almost every aspect of British life,...
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31st March 2017
“Confidence collapsed” in key UK Customs project for Brexit
The Chair of a UK Parliament Treasury Committee said on March 31 that "confidence had collapsed" in Britain's having essential Customs IT infrastructure ready to handle the expected fivefold increase...
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27th March 2017
UK Customs admit: “Any form of customs controls will increase costs”
An internal March 2016 document within the UK Customs Administration (known locally as HMRC), leaked by Britain's Sunday Times on March 26, admits that “Any form of customs controls will increase...
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16th March 2017
UK hit by EU’s €2 bn bill for “repeatedly ignoring warnings” over trouser tax fraud.
The UK is facing a €1.98 bn bill from the EU for "repeatedly ignoring warnings" of tax frauds on imported Chinese shoes and apparel. The case highlights grave systemic complications in...
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8th March 2017
What’s the Chinese for hogwash?
“China must be ready to face [the] growing trend of protectionism” said its Premier Li Keqiang on March 5. Well, he should know. Time after time, whichever political parties have...
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1st March 2017
UK Government: “Prepare to leave EU without a free trade deal”
The UK government was reported on March 1 to have instructed its departments to have plans ready for governing if Britain fails to secure an adequate free trade deal with...
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