Businesses still struggling with red tape 10 years after Brexit, trade organisation says

British businesses are struggling to grow a decade on from Brexit, as red tape continues to hinder trade with the EU, a major organisation has warned.

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), which represents thousands of firms across a network of chambers, said businesses were under pressure due to the costs of bureaucracy and wanted trade with the bloc to be easier.

It has called on businesses to “seize the moment” to reassess Britain’s ties with the EU following Andy Burnham’s promise to set out the next steps for the UK’s long-term relationship with the bloc.

Shevaun Haviland, the director general of the BCC, said: “Firms have shown great resilience in adapting to Brexit, but that adaptation has not removed the costs of paperwork, delays and needless duplication of bureaucracy that it has brought.

“The world has moved on too. Protectionism is rising and the EU is reshaping its industrial policy in response, so standing still is not a choice without repercussions.

“This is not a binary case of being in or out, there are many different routes we can take.

“We need to follow the evidence and seek a future relationship which gives UK firms the strongest platform to trade, invest and grow.”

It has begun consulting with tens of thousands of businesses in its network over their views on the future of trade with the EU.

A survey of around 1,500 firms found that more than a third of businesses said customs paperwork and delays need to be removed in order to grow.

This rises to 58 per cent of manufacturers and 56 per cent of exporters.

It also showed that 42 per cent of exporters identified tariffs, quotas or rules of origin as barriers to growth in the EU.

A separate survey by S&P Global on Monday found that manufacturing firms were also grappling with longer delivery times because of shipping being rerouted, congestion at ports, and ongoing disruption to key transport routes caused by global conflict.

It comes ahead of the prime minister’s summit in Brussels later this month, where he pledged to set out the next steps for considering “the UK’s long-term relationship with the EU”.

Mr Burnham wants to lock in deals on food and drink, emissions trading and a youth mobility scheme at the summit on 20 November, but told ministers that the period beyond that would be to “explore options” for the long-term relationship.

He has said the Brexit deal negotiated by the former Conservative government was “not good enough for Britain” and was “harder” than what was promised at the referendum.

The Independent has led the campaign for Britain to rebuild cooperation, trust, trade, mobility, security and cultural ties with Europe.

A major business survey by the European Movement UK and seen by The Independent also revealed that 72.8 per cent of firms say that Brexit has had a negative impact on their businesses, 96.4 per cent say it has had a negative impact on their communities, and 98.2 per cent want the UK to rejoin the EU’s single market.