On the same day the British government appoints the country's new prime minister, the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) has released what it calls ‘the trade’s most extensive Brexit guide for business and government’, with the intent to help Britain preserve its status ‘as the hub of the world’s wine and spirit trade’.
‘The guide sets out a series of practical proposals to put in place in the event of no deal,’ explained Rebekah Kendrick, WSTA’s head of Brexit and EU affairs and author of the guide. ‘By backing British business and giving trade a clear timetable, with commitments to support the sector, the government can ensure the wine and spirit trade is able to invest and grow.’
In order to achieve this goal, the WSTA is urging the new prime minister to cut the wine and spirit duty and to ensure that goods will be allowed to move freely to the UK from the EU and vice versa following Brexit.
Furthermore, the WSTA has highlighted that UK businesses can’t afford further delays on Brexit and need the government to issue a clear plan to help them define their strategies over the coming months.
‘We spent an enormous amount of time helping our members ensure that the UK wine and spirit trade was prepared for a no deal Brexit in the run-up to the original March 29 deadline,’ said Miles Bale, chief executive of the WSTA.
‘We continually engaged with government to make sure they understood the consequences for businesses upon leaving the EU without a deal.’
