NI businesses reject minister’s claim that supply chain problems caused by Covid, not Brexit

Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Extra costs and paperwork resulting from Brexit and Mr Johnson’s Trade and Cooperation Agreement could be “devastating” for small businesses which rely on sales to Europe, she said. But RHA Northern Ireland policy manager John Martin told The Independent: “If Brandon Lewis was so concerned about the issues, he would sit down with the sector and discuss our concerns, but he doesn’t want to hear the concerns.” Mr Martin said hauliers had lost hundreds of thousands of pounds this month alone through new barriers to trade. “If they were to increase the charges it would be in the region of £6-800 per trip, which could make Northern Irish product uncompetitive in the British market.” Manufacturing NI chief executive Stephen Kelly said: “The UK leaving the customs union and EU’s single market was only ever going to cause turbulence. “Undoubtedly new friction is disrupting supply chains, regardless of whether that arrives via NI ports or Dublin.” Mr Kelly said too many businesses on the British mainland had shown themselves “unaware, unprepared or unwilling to understand the new responsibilities for shipping goods to Northern Ireland”.