British manufacturers are hampered by wary EU suppliers in post-Brexit era

TENSE EU relations are affecting the British economy, warned manufacturers’ group Make UK.

As the bloc’s suppliers grew more cautious about doing business with post-Brexit Britain, the trade body warned that the UK is lagging behind its peers and called for an urgent readjustment of political and trading relationships.

A survey of more than 100 leading industrial companies revealed that practically half said their EU suppliers had become more wary about doing business in Britain.

Almost a fifth had reduced the number of their suppliers from the EU over the last year while the report revealed that damage to the UK’s image and trading relationships was not limited to the EU.  Suppliers from elsewhere were also guarded about Britain, 35 per cent of firms agreed.

Speaking at Make UK’s national conference, its chief executive Stephen Phipson said that the survey highlighted the need to build stronger post-Brexit relations with Europe.

“We need to reset our political and trading relationship with the EU which has been marked by such rancour,” Phipson declared.

While applauding the British government’s positive approach, he also called for further progress after the Windsor Framework deal in Northern Ireland.

Prior to the Make UK conference, members already said more than 40 per cent of manufacturers thought that last year’s political upheavals had damaged the UK’s image regarding direct investment, Phipson said.

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