Tyred of EU regulations

BORIS JOHNSON’S speech about the opportunities to be had from Brexit was made on the same day that I received a letter from my company’s tyre supplier, telling me that prices are going up because of a new regulation targeting cheaper imports from outside the EU.

We operate tipper lorries supplying sand and gravel, so tyres are a big expense. Lorry tyres from major manufacturers in Britain and Europe can easily exceed £300 each. Budget tyres from China, made to the same EU standards, are half that cost.

The EU’s answer to their tyre manufacturers’ lack of competitive-ness is to put a 37 per cent tax on Chinese tyres.

While I agree that we must avoid dumping under-priced or heavily subsidised foreign products on our domestic market, this smacks of protecting EU manufacturers such as the French giant, Michelin.

When the price of your shopping is increased due to haulage costs, you will know to blame the EU’s protectionist policies. RICHARD DEWICK, Southminster, Essex.