Trading after Brexit

SIR – Having spent a lifetime importing products from outside the EU and distributing them within the EU, I can confirm that the problems of doing so are exaggerated.

Whether you are an EU member or not, once your product is inside the market then it becomes “free circulation”, exactly as it was before.

Choosing the point of entry into the EU requires a bit of thought for each manufacturer, but if the United Kingdom chose Ireland, for example, as its point of entry, think of the positive impact that would have on the Irish economy. The rate of import duty would concern us more if Britain were inside the euro, but we manufacture and price in sterling.

The EU does not provide a level playing field for its members. VAT rates vary between countries as do tax rates – the same car will cost you a lot more in Denmark than in Italy. Tariff codes are universal, so the completion of paperwork becomes just a matter of routine. Shipping agents are already expert at it.

Certainly having no trade barrier is an advantage, but not as great as may be imagined. Philip Styles Cheddar, Somerset