A trade drop of a quarter is just the start of Brexit ‘teething problems’

Far from minimal disruption, the full impact of leaving the EU may take 15 years to appear

Teething problems? Bumps in the road? The consequences of adjusting to life outside the EU in the midst of a pandemic are starting to become clear. Official figures show a drop in EU trade of almost a quarter at the start of 2021 compared with the same period three years ago.

Far from the minimal" disruption observed by ministers earlier this year, the figures confirm Brexit came with reasonably substantial short-term costs. It turns out that handing exporters reams of paperwork and border checks on EU shipments, just as the pandemic worsened, isn't an ideal recipe for a booming global Britain.