Britain: Brexit takes its toll on U.K. economy as trade with EU falls sharply - by Pierre Briançon

The U.K. economy shrank less than expected in January, but trade with the European Union fell sharply after the end of the Brexit transition period at the beginning of the year, numbers from the Office for National Statistics showed on Friday.

Exports of goods to the EU fell by 40.7% compared with December, and imports by 28.8%, by far the largest declines since comparable numbers began to be collected in 1997.

By comparison, exports to non-EU countries rose 1.7% and imports from the same group only fell by 17.6%. The U.K. left the EU single market and its customs union on Jan. 1. The ONS also said that gross domestic product in January shrank by 2.9%, way below an analyst consensus forecast of a 4.9% fall.

Besides shrinking trade, the GDP fall is mostly due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions to economic activity that were imposed shortly after the new year, including the closure of schools. The hit to services and manufacturing was in part compensated by a significant increase in health spending, due to the nationwide rollout of a “test and trace” system. The U.K. economy shrank less than expected in January, but trade with the European Union fell sharply after the end of the Brexit transition period at the beginning of the year, numbers from the Office for National Statistics showed on Friday. Exports of goods to the EU fell by 40.7% compared with December, and imports by 28.8%, by far the largest declines since comparable numbers began to be collected in 1997. By comparison, exports to non-EU countries rose 1.7% and imports from the same group only fell by 17.6%. The U.K. left the EU single market and its customs union on Jan. 1. The ONS also said that gross domestic product in January shrank by 2.9%, way below an analyst consensus forecast of a 4.9% fall. Besides shrinking trade, the GDP fall is mostly due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions to economic activity that were imposed shortly after the new year, including the closure of schools. The hit to services and manufacturing was in part compensated by a significant increase in health spending, due to the nationwide rollout of a “test and trace” system. The U.K. economy shrank less than expected in January, but trade with the European Union fell sharply after the end of the Brexit transition period at the beginning of the year, numbers from the Office for National Statistics showed on Friday.

Exports of goods to the EU fell by 40.7% compared with December, and imports by 28.8%, by far the largest declines since comparable numbers began to be collected in 1997. By comparison, exports to non-EU countries rose 1.7% and imports from the same group only fell by 17.6%. The U.K. left the EU single market and its customs union on Jan. 1. The ONS also said that gross domestic product in January shrank by 2.9%, way below an analyst consensus forecast of a 4.9% fall. Besides shrinking trade, the GDP fall is mostly due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions to economic activity that were imposed shortly after the new year, including the closure of schools. The hit to services and manufacturing was in part compensated by a significant increase in health spending, due to the nationwide rollout of a “test and trace” system.

Read more at: Brexit takes its toll on U.K. economy as trade with EU falls sharply - MarketWatch

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As uncertainty over Brexit spills into its fourth year, Swiftool Precision Engineering has taken a tough investment decision: it will press ahead with a plan to spend 250,000 pounds ($323,000) on a 3D printer but a new workshop roof will have to wait.

Read more at:
https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu-investment/brexit-impasse-takes-its-toll-on-british-business-investment-idUKKBN1XH0KX