The first quarter trade figures for the UK show a sharp decline in the trade deficit, Much of this relates to higher stock levels last year which needed using up. The figures also show, however, some shift in our pattern of imports, bringing in less from the EU and more from the rest of the world. This probably reflects the aggressive and unhelpful stance of the EU over trade matters.
If we compare the month of March 2021 with March 2019 before the pandemic disrupted economies and trade we see a Ā£1.3bn fall in imports of EU miscellaneous manufactures, a Ā£2.8bn fall in imports of EU machinery and transport items, a Ā£0.4bn fall in EU food and a Ā£2bn fall in EU chemicals. In contrast the same period sees a rise of Ā£0.2bn in rest of the world imported miscellaneous manufactures, a much smaller Ā£0.5bn fall in rest of the world machinery and transport, a Ā£0.1bn increase in rest of the world food and a Ā£0.6bn increase in rest of the world chemical imports. It is always a better idea to be helpful to customers, as the rest of the world is demonstrating.
May 12, 2021
There is irony and concern from industry. In the last 7-10 days I have had conversations with half a dozen MD’s and CEO’s who’s turnover in the UK collectively comes in at around Ā£500 million. They are all doing well, as a generalisation in the 12months up to April the average increase in turnover is some 20% up on the previous 12 months.
However, they are now beginning to be hampered by supply shortages mainly from what would seem silly little items. For instance Glass Production for the Building Industry cant get the supplies of the safety film required in glass, so the deliveries have stopped or increased in price astronomically.
There are lots of these seemingly minor items no longer available as a consequence calling a halt to major production problems. The reality is the UK is not self reliant, it keeps ordering production abroad by its romantic take on tax and the environment. Its self inflected, the UK shooting itself in the ‘foot’ as a result of mostly bizarre anti UK Policies.
The Government stands to attention for the metro left, but destroys jobs and wealth creation to follow a noisy minority
May 13, 2021
Indeed. A nail on the head. We all agree that we support the environment and are against pollution. However, we cannot just export our manufacturing capacity to China and elsewhere, they should be mitigated. The Rain Forests around the world need support where the biggest impacts can be felt for the flora and fauna, but our Government is too busy nasal gazing and virtue signalling. There is a complete loss of common sense. Why aren’t Extinction Rebellion lobbying China/India or demonstrating outside their embassy’s? The Government doesn’t do strategic thinking or planning. HS2 anyone!
Then we import our energy from abroad having been threatened at least 3 times by the French before and after EU negotiations. How foolish can our politicos get?
May 13, 2021
There are global supply chain problems in virtually every aspect of manufacturing and production. This is not a UK / EU thing its worldwide. We’ve basically shut down our global industry for much of 2020, so its a function of that in the main.
May 12, 2021
Excellent news.
Hopefully, many British people have made a conscious decision to not buy EU goods or produce.
I buy only English, British or Commonwealth products. If nothing is available from the aforementioned, I look towards world wide products but, I will never buy EU products and would rather go without than relent.
If everyone in this country bought British, our own economy would be boosted which is good news for us all, well except Andy of course.
The Pm and other ministers must stop calling the EU our friends because they are not.
May 12, 2021
“The PM and other ministers must stop calling the EU our friends because they are not.” Perhaps they should also consider the us off “the Hon member” or “Right Hon. Member” for X.
May 12, 2021
use of!
May 12, 2021
I always assume it is sarcasm at its finest!
May 12, 2021
Me too!
And what about āHonourable Friendā.
Lol!
May 12, 2021
I also check all the labels. Getting thing made in UK is my priority. This week I managed to buy motorbike tyres made in England.
Imports from the EU maybe down but the importation of illegals across the channel is at record high. Much wind from Pritti useless but no action as usual.
Let’s get to net zero in illegals first.
May 12, 2021
I wonder if John has read Adam Smith’s The Wealth Of Nations?
One would assume so, but apparently he’s forgotten its salient points.
May 13, 2021
In the 1980s John Redwood was a well regarded trade policy adviser. Now he is a scared old man, shouting āgo away world, we can grow our own apples and turnipsā. It is quite sad to see
May 13, 2021
If you are interested in saving the planet then locally sourced and produced goods are what Greta wants us all to do Lengy.
Presumably that is what you want to happen?
May 13, 2021
I wouldn’t call him scared at all but brave actually.
The political stage today is a horrible place.
He can’t be remaining on this stage for the money or glory.
May 13, 2021
Put our ex vets in 4* Hotels and let the illegals sleep rough!
May 13, 2021
Ian Wragg
Thatās quite an achievement ššš
May 12, 2021
I will always buy what is best in product and quality, this particualr approach of not wanting to buy products from 27 individual countries, actually says more about you than the member countries of the EU.
May 12, 2021
Bill Brown
You are correct, it does say more about me. It says that I am patriotic and am backing my own nation against the EU.
There was a time when being patriotic was the norm however, this country has many inhabitants who always back any one but their own nation. This hating of self and being anti British, spits in the faces of those who gave their lives for our nation.
Still Bill, at least you are free to spout such bile.
Have a good evening.
May 13, 2021
Well done Cliff.
May 13, 2021
Cliff,
thank you for your note there is no hate for Britain I love the country but I also prefer a balanced view
May 13, 2021
+1
May 17, 2021
I’m presuming your Covid vaccine was manufactured in the UK or India and none of its constituent parts were manufactured in the EU. I wouldn’t be alive but for the drugs manufactured in the EU presumably you are happier to die for the cause?
May 12, 2021
A big problem right now is the serious lack of building materials and supplies.
This is affecting regeneration
Everything from electrical components to raw materials are in very short supply.
Reduced trade deficit is one thing but lack of basic infrastructure materials is starting to have a significant impact on every part of the construction industry
May 12, 2021
David
Agreed.
The cost of construction materials has gone through the roof so to speak.
May 12, 2021
Hi David, have you got a couple of specific products you can’t find because they’re in short supply that you can tell us about, please?
May 12, 2021
@ a-tracy
My son is a project manager for a large construction company. He tells me bricks and blocks are in very short supply along with other things. They are pre-ordering for deliveries as far ahead as the jobs they have on hand. They have just signed contracts for two large contracts – to commence in a few months and builds that will last up to two years. They are already getting the orders in for, amongst other things, the kitchens!
May 12, 2021
Agree Mike. I want my kitchen done and all I hear is shortages of materials and a backlog of orders.
May 12, 2021
Did you not anticipate problems after we achieved some sort of Brexit? I think we ‘ll have another couple of years of frustration yet, but worth paying the price.
May 13, 2021
Definitely a knock on from lockdown. Lots of manufactured products and materials in short supply as a consequence. Experienced ourselves with a few home projects.
May 13, 2021
Thanks, Mike, are these imported bricks and kitchens, and do you know from which Countries?
May 12, 2021
Steel reinforcing rebar and timber are in short supply, along with concrete products, roof tiles etc
The construction materials index is up 7.8% but some grades of timber are up 14%
https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/data/materials-analysis-steel-and-rebar-hit-by-double-digit-inflation-07-05-2021/
May 12, 2021
There is also a supply problem with glass.
May 12, 2021
Hardly surprising – any rational person would have guessed and investigated supply avoiding EU shenanigans….we will gradually replace previous sources.
May 12, 2021
Fred H
there are sheenigangs on both sides and there are breaches from our side on the implementation in NI. The producers in the EU are not the sheeniganns yu are talking about but if any the officials, if at all.
May 13, 2021
No Bill. It’s the interpretation of that protocol and how the EU want to turn the screw to try and force compliance with food and agri products. To keep us aligned to their rules. Keep up Bill.
May 12, 2021
I think there was/is a pandemic and guess what? people were not working.
May 12, 2021
I have heard of and experienced difficulty in choice and supply of certain materials (building) and as for imports of food – a bad example, brussel sprouts from Morocco for goodness sake! We should expand home production of both categories. Sadly in the building world many companies are foreign owned.
The GDP figures getting coverage are of limited interest to me. It’s the trade and payments balances which really matter.
May 12, 2021
Trade in the other direction (UK exports to the EU) has declined as well. Is that all down to the UK being similarly helpful to its customers? Or is it simply the case that introducing trade barriers that were not there before is just bad for trade?
May 12, 2021
I suspect that the whole level of trade is down due to the Covid19 overlay. A very good reason for Liz Truss to be creating the climate for an ever wider customer base.
May 12, 2021
Yes, but to be fair to our host it does seem that imports from the European Union are down fractionally more that are UK exports to it.
It’s lose-lose, as M. Barnier patiently explained that it would be.
May 12, 2021
You really ought to read what you are replying to. It’s the trade *deficit* that has fallen. So imports have fallen by *more* than exports.
The trade deficit fell by Ā£8.4 billion to Ā£1.4 billion. Fact. Not speculation. Not hot air. Not blowing smoke. Not MiC bluff.
May 12, 2021
Well M.Barnier didn’t manage to persuade the leaders to back off the hate and spoilt brat reactions to everything Brexit, did he?
Are you finally sharing blame?
May 13, 2021
Yes of course there is a marginal reduction in the trade deficit with the European Union, but that is at the cost of a marked reduction in overall commercial activity and in wealth creation, job protection and so on.
If there were zero trade either way then there would be no deficit at all – hooray.
May 12, 2021
@agricola; “A very good reason for Liz Truss to be creating the climate for an ever wider customer base.”
What chance when Downing Street & other govt Depts. are putting up as many fake barriers to international trade as the EU had imposed, thus keeping some of our more logical and long standing RotW trading partners locked out of the UK when it comes to some (of their) important sectors. If we expect others to give us new export opportunities then we need reciprocate, such trade is never going to be like-for-like, coals to Newcastle and all that…
May 13, 2021
Jerry please be specific, rant vague is meaningless. You might as well stand on a street corner proclaiming the end of the World, if that is still permitted of course.
May 13, 2021
@agricola; Sorry! So to be specific, why are we still blocking healthy safe, cheaper, often higher quality beef and chicken from the USA, the one thing people in the USA are not dying from is hormone or salmonella poisoning, they are dying from obesity though, but then so are the British…
Nor is it just about food, there are other tariff barriers to, for example, some tools (@3.7%), Knives (@8.5%), HGV tractor units (@16%).
May 13, 2021
Perhaps Peter it is because we’re only just coming out of a pandemic.
May 12, 2021
This is good news. I too try to buy British, but with some items itās almost impossible not to buy from China. Iād rather buy from an EU country than China because the more I learn about China and itās global intentions, horrifies me.
May 12, 2021
Hopefully this will interest home entrepreneurs.
May 12, 2021
@Fred.H; Fat chance, when most accountants and consumers know the price of everything and the value of nothing!
Five months into Brexit, so were is the Govts “I’m Buying British” and “I’m investing in Britain” campaigns, to change business and consumer perceptions about value for money?
May 12, 2021
I disagree. Everybody I ever talk to about China says they produce second rate rubbish, no QA, no lifetime, no comeback – but try to avoid buying in the first place. There are opportunities out there to proudly state ‘made in Britain’ or ‘not imported form China’.
May 13, 2021
@Fred.H; “Everybody I ever talk to about China says they produce second rate rubbish [..//..] but try to avoid buying in the first place”
That’s my point, you can’t all the time the majority of consumers simply buy on price, if ‘British Made’ costs the same or less than similar LQ Chinese or (say) HQ German made products sure people will buy ‘UK Made’ in droves, but if they cost more how many will pay the extra -or go without.
Until consumers start to change their buying habits, rather than just complaining, the sales figures for such imports will remain high, and thus no company is going to risk investment in UK production.
May 12, 2021
but buying from China reduces our CO2 and carbon footprint….or so I’ve been told
May 12, 2021
Life gets complicated with all this research before you buy, doesn’t it?
Things could have been far simpler.
May 13, 2021
Some of us aren’t as lazy.
May 13, 2021
well Martin, it is you who tell us regularly to read from various and diverse media sources, but now tell us it is complicated. We knew that ! What to believe, eh?
May 13, 2021
Being content to buy things from properly-regulated, trusted, friendly countries is not laziness.
May 13, 2021
Properly regulated MiC? Isn’t it the EU where most of the horsemeat scandal came from after all in some areas of the continent it is acceptable to eat horse, however, what is not acceptable is to pass it off as beef! Wasn’t it France that manufactured the cladding and won’t send three executives to the trial, salmonella in meat we import? I can go on if you wish.
May 13, 2021
We have no idea how many abattoirs in the UK were selling horsemeat besides the one in Todmorden, because there are very few inspections and analyses done in the UK.
It was only after the Grenfell outrage that the authorities learnt that hundreds of thousands are living in equally dangerous conditions owing to the analogous position on building regs and enforcement.
Those panels are acceptable for low rise buildings, but were fraudulently fitted to high rise, I read.
May 14, 2021
I have provided you time and time again with sources about the ‘EU horsemeat’ scandal which Ireland discovered quite by accident as one of the big middlemen in the distribution chain.
That doesn’t move away from the fact that the French company refuse to send their executives to answer to the committee. Why if they are completely innocent?
May 12, 2021
“It is always a better idea to be helpful to customers, as the rest of the world is demonstrating” it certainly is.
It is also better for UK to be competitive but alas Boris/Carrie/Sunak seem determined to destroy this for the UK with a very large and misdirected state, the over extended lockdown, the huge tax burden (with worthless or second rate service in return) and tax complexity, high energy prices, various other green crap lunacy, endless red tape cost and all the rest.
May 12, 2021
You want useless red tape? 46M American own bitcoin. It has become a major currency in countries such as Venezuala. The UK government statements have been very positive towards bitcoin.
The UK banks, first Barclays and now NatWest, have confirmed they will close the accounts of any UK businesses that accept Bitcoin. They claim that any acceptance (including registering with the FCA) is money laundering.
A brief check over the crypto communities reveals whole sets of IT firms and financial companies taking their banking to China to deal with this and a whole service sector springing up to offshore UK firms. Given the amount of income going overseas because of this, could the UK government take some action over our banking system being unfit for purpose and completely ignoring government guidelines?
May 12, 2021
@Lifelogic,
You over-idealise the private sector. My gas / electricity service has been appalling, third world. Fat cats making money for nothing.
Also, what you going to do with all those in the public sector who are incapable of working in the faster-paced world of the private sector. Put them on the dole? The reality is that millions are incapable of working in the private sector – because they lack natural abilities and/or because they are busy mothers and have to devote a large % of their energy to their kids / family / home. Plus you miss the point that an economy based on greed, over-heats the economy, leading to boom and bust, all kinds of social problems, war and so on. The economy of the rat-race is ticking time bomb.
I’m a Capitalist and Conservative and want to see taxation drop to 20% and for the long-term – including properly increasing Productivity. But that will only happen properly through changing cultural values in this country. Developing work ethic (like the Quakers in business in the past), dependence on family instead of state (like in old days), increasing sense of public duty and patriotism (like in old days, in particular WW2). And that will ultimately only happen through Education, the Media, the Arts, the C of E and so on. Politicians can only do so much. If they try and do so much, then they simply ruin the delicate ecosystem of how an economy truly works. That should be based on work ethic. And an economy of honey-making bees than that of the rat race we so often today in the West. Bees that don’t just make money in a good and sustainable way, but who also create strong families and neighbourhoods, arts, architecture, defence, education, and so forth. Real Civilisation like we saw at time of the Renaissance. Real Capitalism and Conservatism. Not a Capitalism / Conservatism based on ideology / on 19/20th century political / economic heresies.
May 13, 2021
Edm
At least you now have a big choice of suppliers for your energy supplies.
I recently changed from a supplier with poor service to another that is cheaper and top in customer service ratings.
May 13, 2021
Not complaining about Privatization of Gas / Electricity (in fairness, they did send me some cheques as compensation for the third-world service they had offered to me earlier on this year and last – and on various occasions). Just that I am not particularly turned on, as a Capitalist, by it (either way, doesn’t make big difference whether Gas / Electricity was privatised or not – at least not in the way some suggest).
What turns me on as a Capitalist is that the UK focuses more on becoming a highly productive nation / high productivity, creating our own British High Tech brands such as Apple-like smartphones, BMW-like cars, IBM-like servers and services etc ..). That’s what really turns me on as a Capitalist not whether our post office (or Gas or whatever) is privatised or not (sure, on balance, I’d go for privatisation but doesn’t make a huge difference to customers or the economy – compared to creating and exporting far more High Tech Brands that we should really be focusing on as Capitalists and Conservatives.). Best.
May 13, 2021
‘I recently changed from a supplier with poor service to another that is cheaper and top in customer service ratings.’
How much was gas / electricity before privatisation compared to now (and how much is price differences down to other factors)? That is not a rhetorical question. I was too young to remember the pre privatisation era. If I’m saving lots of money, then that’s great. If relatively little, then I couldn’t care less whether I have choice or not if that choice doesn’t result in drastically reduced fees (and better service – I don’t mind paying more if I get good service).
May 12, 2021
Also, 1 way Tories can really help the economy is help entrepreneurs and companies in the High Tech Sector.
Things like whether our post office is privatised or not is largely irrelevant (privatisation might make some good difference but not that much – lots of countries around world have postal service as good or as rubbish as those in UK, Germany, Japan). It’s largely a redundant issue economic issue. What would make a real difference to UK Productivity is if we started making smart phones like Apple, Cars like BMW, Servers and IT services like IBM and so on. This is where we should really be focusing our economy. And government making small, smart capitalist investments in this sector, sewing the seeds for private enterprise to thrive in (like US government played a role – often indirect – in the rise of Silicon Valley).
That’s real Conservatism Capitalism not arguments about privatisation of postal service or taxation (can help but not that much in creating a strong, growing economy for the future).
May 12, 2021
Instead of Tories helping High Tech Sector they damaged it profoundly regarding ARM Holdings, and then had audacity and/or ignorance to claim it was a great victory for the UK economy ..
May 12, 2021
That is a really stupid remark. When a company is built from nothing and then sold for eleven billion cash, that is a big boost for new investment in that sector of the economy.
As a bonus, since that eleven billion went to the shareholders and not to the Government, it will be invested by people who have already proved that they know a good investment when they see it.
May 13, 2021
‘That is a really stupid remark. When a company is built from nothing and then sold for eleven billion cash, that is a big boost for new investment in that sector of the economy.’
– No, no, no. You’re looking at this from the POV of an accountant NOT the CEO who sees the larger picture. It’s a complicated subject (which you fail to recognise). I know this industry well. Companies in the High Tech industry feed off each other in direct and indirect ways (you fail to make this point). But when the company is sold off to a foreign company, so many of those direct and indirect influences are lost.
99% of people who work in High Tech (as I did for years) would agree with me and disagree with you (and certainly with your language ‘stupid’).
May 13, 2021
Tories obviously way better than Labour. But Tories seem to know v little about the High Tech sector.
May 12, 2021
+1
If I recall correctly the government wants to get rid of the fixed term general elections. The cynic in me instantly thought, aye that figures, destroy society and the economy and leave it for someone else to deal with the destruction you created, whilst you think you can just skip off into the sunset.
May 12, 2021
@LL; Your same old rant, but other countries have similar or ‘worse’ govt polices (high taxation rates, energy and social costs, needless red-tape etc) yet are still more competitive than the UK – how come?
Small govt, low taxation, is not a magic bullet solution, if it is even a solution.
May 13, 2021
It is almost the only magic bullet as has been shown time and time again.
May 13, 2021
@LL; Only in your universe perhaps, how is the weather on Planet Zog these days š , but here on Earth both France and Germany (as well as the EU as a whole) are ahead of the UK measured by GDP [1], both ‘suffer’ from all you complain about, you should also check the real-world tax and red tape burden in the USA.
[1] IMF & World bank figures
May 12, 2021
The EU are exceeding expectations when it come to showing how deceitful and unfriendly they can be. When is Boris going to get tough with them?
While it is understood that acting against the EU, and fools like Macron, will harm the people of the EU, the EU elites give us no other option than to trade elsewhere, even though we have a great sympathy with the peoples of Europe.
Germany and France are leading the way with over-harsh measures to allegedly fight CV, giving us even less reason to trust the political elite.
May 12, 2021
Yes, the EU are a despicable rabble.
May 12, 2021
What, all 450 million of them?
May 12, 2021
not so different to your protege Andy spouting similar abuse of about 20m older British citizens.
May 12, 2021
I didn’t think even Brussels employed that any Martin – or are they hiding a few in Strasburg?
If so they are being very discreet – all the lights were off in the EU office blocks there when we last visited.
May 12, 2021
agricola
so all 500 million inhabitants are dispicable? or what are you actually tyring to say?
May 13, 2021
Agricola,
Can we please have some real arguments as both sides seem to be negating on their promises
May 12, 2021
Harsh measures indeed? You don’t know the half of it yet! because after listening to years of abuse from Farage and the other Tory MEP malcontents of the British rag press we can safely say they will not be in any humour to be friendly so get off yer high horse – but watch out the EU have yet to put the boot in.
May 12, 2021
Assuming they have a boot to put in, they would be extremely foolish to further antagonise one of their hitherto best customers. Like many others, I no longer buy EU products where I can avoid them and have found a very nice drop of wine from Chile to replace my French and Spanish stocks.
May 12, 2021
@Bitterend; “but watch out the EU have yet to put the boot in.”
They will be increasingly stupid to do so, the more they “put the boot in” the more obvious the UK’s grievances will be proved correct…
May 12, 2021
There are reports of civil war brewing in France.
May 16, 2021
Fedupsoutherner
absolute BS
May 13, 2021
By “deceitful and unfriendly” I suppose you mean “treating a country that has chosen to leave the EU as if it has chosen to leave the EU”. Bryan’s post is “Brexiter surprised to find out what Brexit actually means” episode 56,478
May 13, 2021
šš
May 13, 2021
Interesting how some here choose to misinterpret what was said just to try and score a point against those that only want the best for their own country.
The remoaner element has always been blind to the bullying autocratic ways of the EU, and still keep attacking the idea that we can look after ourselves far better than a remote uncaring bureaucracy.
In these woke and unpredictable times, when common sense and national pride are being neglected for a new version of Futerism, it is surely time for those that were wrong who remain wrong should just put their focus on what good they can now do for the country they call home.
May 13, 2021
BH
+1
May 12, 2021
Hasn’t there been a steady and growing decline, in response to the EU getting more and more ‘shirty’ since the referendum?
May 12, 2021
J Bush I think the politicians on both sides have been using very unfirendly languaage among friened and toally unnecessarily
May 12, 2021
It goes back a lot longer than that. At one time the EU was 80% of our entire trade and by the time of the referendum it was already down to 45%.
May 13, 2021
some of those countries who joined in the condemnation of UK are now pleading for our tourists. Tough shit.
May 12, 2021
Covid apart the EU have failed to realise that they have to compete with the rest of the World. It is no longer a sellers market. Buying and selling is down to long term trusted relationships, there is no room for spoilt brat pram emptying and threats. For sure the NI Protocol must go, an idiotic constraint to sign up to, with implications that go way beyond causing trade restraints. Clear it away.
May 12, 2021
Off Topic
‘PM apologises for ‘events in Ballymurphy’ in 1971′ ā Boris has just spat in the face of every British Army veteran soliderā¦..whats next, taking the knee
May 12, 2021
Sickening. My brother was in the Paras out there and was injured in a booby bomb trap. How about seeing it from our boys point of view for a change?
May 12, 2021
The priest Father Hugh Mullan was killed while he was giving the last rites to an injured man. Are you proud of that?
May 13, 2021
‘Innocent’ people should not have been on the streets amongst the violence being directed at our soldiers. Get out of the way if you don’t want to be caught up in trouble. I an fed up with excuses for violent rabble and I’d love to see how you would react in the same position. Another armchair commentator.
May 13, 2021
+1
May 13, 2021
+1
May 13, 2021
For clarification +1 refers to Hefnerās post not the nonsense of fedupsoutherner.
May 13, 2021
My brother was killed while giving medical care to a soldier on Mt Longdon. He had a red cross on his sleeve but was shot. Are you proud of that?
May 12, 2021
What did you expect him to do?
Boast about the killing of ten defenceless innocent people?
May 12, 2021
shots were fired, terrorists among the innocents, thats their way to avoid return fire.
Sadly fire was returned at awful cost no doubt -decided now. At the time the soldiers ‘might’ be excused for believing people were carrying guns and shooting at their comrades. Heat of battle.
Bad things happen in war-like situations.
May 13, 2021
Correct Fred.
May 13, 2021
MiC
+1
May 12, 2021
+1
May 12, 2021
it might have been prison.
May 12, 2021
@glen cullen; I’m not commenting on the events you cite, I don’t know the details, but more generally the UK is most certainly getting in to a real tiswas when it comes to judging historical events using current 20/20 hindsight and sensibilities.
May 12, 2021
When I owned an Audi, I went into an Audi dealer to buy a spare part. I was told it was not in stock and would be there tomorrow. I asked where it was coming from – could I drive to another Audi dealer and pick it up. I was told the part was sitting in a warehouse in Germany. It would be on a lorry that night and delivered first thing the next day. Impressive.
Is this sort of logistics still possible now we are out?
May 12, 2021
but ridiculous cost to move parts – unless what you wanted was a really rare requirement.
May 12, 2021
It was a headlamp bulb.
May 13, 2021
So how do Audi service agents do business (indeed MOT businesses who used to try to replace bulbs when failed?) – do they tell the customer to return next day for a replacement bulb?
A big message here about buying Audi !!
May 13, 2021
There used to a firm called Lucas who supplied motor car light bulbs that you could buy over the counter almost anywhere and fit yourself.
How much more productive it is to be able to have a light bulb shipped all the way from Germany within 24 hours!
May 12, 2021
Why not? Trucks and ferries still move at the same speed. And the customs formalities were probably done online in fifteen seconds.
All the shouting and yelling about Brexit has been about things like individual boxes of fish, or wrapped chunks of cheese, where the trade overhead is high compared to the cost of goods. For a crate of auto parts that just isn’t a problem.
And for an aero engine, the effect of Brexit is probably completely invisible. Compare that to all the Remainer nonsense about Airbus leaving the UK any day.
May 13, 2021
There is no such thing as a Remainer any more.
We are all leavers, some gladly, others – many millions of us – against our will.
Let your silly Identity Politics go.
May 13, 2021
There is a very large logistics warehouse 2 miles from my house which was set up by a German company 3 years ago to supply the UK parts market for most German cars. So yes you’ll get your part tomorrow.
May 12, 2021
Have the taxes on imported cars gone up at all. I see the roads are still full of new German and French cars. Why don’t people buy British?
May 12, 2021
I’ve bought a car that is British made and is a British legend. Stick your French and German cars where you like.
May 14, 2021
In 42 editions of the Dakar the British legendary won it twice in 1979 and 1981 when LR was still British. Since then as they say in France āque dalleā. But the Mini All Four (i.e. BMW-owned made in Crawley) won it four times (2012-2015), the Mini John Cooper Works Buggy (also BMW-linked) in 2020 and 2021.
By now, the British legend might only be good enough to āpromener ma pātitā amie Mimi et son jeunā frerā Totoā (Ca cāest dāla bagnole, Bob Deschamps, 1938).
May 12, 2021
what should I buy?
May 12, 2021
I see a large surge in Covid ‘Indian variant’ cases in Bolton. Who would have thought people going to India and coming back would have spread the Indian variant. Most surprising.
May 12, 2021
As an aside, if your lot fancy another lockdown, Mr. Redwood, I will be taking no notice. I haven’t seen my sons for 7 months and I am seeing them next weekend regardless of what the government says.
May 12, 2021
Well I never.
May 12, 2021
but all served quarantine….
May 13, 2021
Well, as Farage said, we will replace all this free movement around the European Union with British Commonwealth people and suchlike.
May 12, 2021
Just a thought, but if you wanted to totally kill the provision of on-line services by the UK and make the UK a much less attractive place to do on-line digital business, then the Government’s proposals for legal constraints on Internet use to address some fictitious “on-line harm” seems to me to be a very good way to do it. And at a cost to the taxpayer of two billion.
Maybe it would be cheaper to send a letter to each potential investor telling them to just go away and invest somewhere else?
May 12, 2021
Sir JR,
I would of course wait and see after a year what the patterns looks like instead of just one quarter but that is of course entirely up to you .
On being friendly with the cusotmers I am sure that the Eu suppliers and producers are and wish to be friendly and helpful to UK customers, so comparing friendly suppliers in the rest of the world with supposedly unfriendly Eu suppliers, is as far as I am concerned just fake news from Redwood and not a serious contribution to the debate.
May 13, 2021
Sir John said nothing about EU suppliers nor accused them of being unfriendly, that is just you making up fake news.
May 13, 2021
Dixie,
I am afraid he was making too may genralisations about the EU, wihch is why I mentioned it
May 14, 2021
@brown – Codswallop.
The data is at the EU level, not more detailed, so can only lend itself to analysis at the general EU level. The EU is demonstrably aggressive and non-cooperative towards the UK to the extent of attempting blockade which is a serious act in international law. So it is quite fair to observe the EU is being less friendly towards a customer than other trading partners.
* Perhaps you should state how many generalisations you will permit before getting out the red pen.
May 16, 2021
dixie
we are talking about individual businesses in the EU, so therse are overdone generalisations . with or without a red pen
May 13, 2021
bill, the Eu will not allow us to ship meat and plants with British soil to another part of Britain! There has been no retaliation from the UK to suppliers of the same products coming in from the EU. We need a list of what is banned or difficult to ship to Northern Ireland. A full list online available to everyone in the UK and let’s see if the British Public are as accepting as our politicians.
If goods went into Southern Ireland from Northern Ireland an invoice would be raised and it would be easily spotted by customs, fines would be large and if Northern Irish companies were daft enough to facilitate it they would be soon put out of business.
May 12, 2021
My reasons for voting to leave the EU was the single market. I objected to the EU issuing production quotas for our agricultural produce and our fish. I objected to them defining what was a merchantable product. I objected to free movement of capital which always seemed to involve the takeover of British companies and I fundamentally objected to the free movement of people; that however was a matter of principle: that we control our own borders. However, I would rather an immigrant from a Christian European country than from anywhere else because they are more like us and will integrate successfully.
May 13, 2021
Too bad that you did not make that the defining criterion for your vote then, eh?
Because with an ageing, infirm population the UK will need large numbers of immigrants.
May 13, 2021
Will 350,000 a year be enough MiC?
May 12, 2021
Not all of the EU is affected equally, of course. If you search for figures on Irish beef and dairy exports to the UK, they have taken a massive hit. It isn’t even easy to find out how big a hit, since estimates range from a 40% drop to 70% and official statistics are “incomplete” and “delayed”. I wonder why.
This is a good example of where estimates and common sense are consistent. Since UK entry to the EU Ireland had established a quasi-monopoly of the UK dairy and beef import markets because EU external tariffs locked countries like Australia out of the UK import market – Australia’s share of UK food imports fell from about 50% to about 2% during UK EU membership – and now the Australians are no longer locked out of the UK market, so their share will rise and Ireland’s must fall.
This is the answer to the rather strange people who gloat that the wording of new UK FTAs is similar to the wording of old EU FTAs. It must be, of course, since an FTA is an FTA, but the situation that similar wording produces is very different.
May 13, 2021
We had a once thriving chemicals industry of our own before it was gradually closed and replaced by imports. Surely its time to reinvest and create job opportunities and wealth directly for the UK. Large scale chemical companies should be encouraged to redevelop here. Many of these plants were based in the north and midlands and it would help the ‘leveling up’ efforts. However, it seems our economic strategy is services based, so I wont hold my breath. Looking at the figures for output, R&D etc its dominated by the southern counties and London in particular.
May 13, 2021
Somehow our energy prices in the 80s kicked our chlorine and other chemicals manufacturing into the abyss. Services were the future.