EU chaos: Belgian businesses admit Brexit consequences ‘difficult to accept’

Brexit: Businesses in Belgium reveal how exports will be affected

Several Belgian business owners told the BBC about the challenges they have been facing since the UK left the European Union. Kaat Baertsoen, a plant distributer, questioned how the EU could have agreed to a trade deal that made it slower to export to Britain.  

Ms Baertsoen said: “It is empty today because we have decided to wait another two weeks before actually shipping plants to the UK.

“We didn’t want to run the risk of plants being blocked in Calais on the way or not being accepted by the British inspection.

“If there is damage who are they going to blame for it?

“It’s not easy for us to accept that it’s made it so difficult.

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“It is really putting the clock back, normally when you make a trade it is to go quicker.”

The plant distributer added: “

“We might take the decision not to ship some kind of plants because they are too delicate.”

Filip Rotesaert, a Belgian beer wholesaler warned that tariffs between the trading bloc and the UK will result in his products becoming more expensive.

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He said: “We have about 700 different beers from all the brewers around Belgium.

“It will be very expensive for them.

“We keep the same prices, but they will have to pay a little bit more to receive them.”

Eline Blanchaert from Klingele Chocolate told the BBC, she hoped Briton’s love for chocolate would mean demand does not decrease following Brexit.

She said: “Extra transport, extra documents, it will cost money and time.

“Someone needs to pay this so the products will become more expensive.”

Ms Blanchaert added when asked if Britons will buy Belgian chocolate after Brexit: “We hope so, British people love Belgian chocolate.”

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