Suspension of import tariffs on Covid-19 goods from 1st January 2021

[-:Undertaker:-]

Britain to suspend import tariffs on Covid-19 related goods

HM Government announces suspension of tariffs once out of EU Single Market + Customs Union on 1st January 2021

Import tariffs on vital #Covid19 goods will be temporarily suspended for all importers from 1 January 2021, meaning:

👉lower costs for the UK's private sector organisations
👉@NHSuk & charities will no longer need to apply for tariff reliefs.https://t.co/jV9hXEQRiz pic.twitter.com/ydbxC52x5p

— Department for Business and Trade (@biztradegovuk) December 17, 2020

From midnight on the 31st December Britain leaves the EU's Single Market + Customs Union so will then be able to adjust its own tariffs.

Great to see HM Government taking back control and using our independence to benefit the people of this country.

Germans are furious at their government’s refusal to approve the Pfizer vaccine ahead of the EU. Being good Europeans could cost lives. Thank Heaven for Brexit.

— Alan Sked (@profsked) December 16, 2020

Meanwhile in the EU not a single person has yet been vaccinated as they gormlessly stand around waiting for docile EU agencies to approve. Some countries like the Germans have been ready to roll out the jab, but they're all waiting on the European Medicines Agency in the name of "working together".

[dbgtz]

Fair play to the government for finally ending freedom of movement pic.twitter.com/5VveMcnFGJ

— James Felton (@JimMFelton) December 18, 2020

[-:Undertaker:-]

Fair play to the government for finally ending freedom of movement pic.twitter.com/5VveMcnFGJ

— James Felton (@JimMFelton) December 18, 2020

Freedom of Movement hasn't ended yet and won't do for another 12 days, so I suspect that's actually pre-Christmas delivery tailbacks given that the high street has been decimated and people are now resorting to ordering online from Amazon, eBay and so on with the Coronavirus situation. Common sensical!

Always key to remember when discussing trade that...

[dbgtz]

and how will border checks improve the situation

glad you finally realise we haven't actually left yet though

[-:Undertaker:-]

and how will border checks improve the situation

glad you finally realise we haven't actually left yet though

The situation (Christmas) will be over by the time we have left. Besides, any failure to manage customs arrangements isn't a failure of being independent and sovereign - it will be a fault of government. The Canadian's manage their huge border with America very well, as does isolated Australia, as does Russia with her border facing multiple EU and non-EU countries. Any incompetence will be blamed on HMG which is what this is all about - accountability.

[dbgtz]

i dont disagree, in fact im glad you acknowledge the government you helped vote in is incompetent

so to ask the question again, how are border checks going to improve the movement of goods?

[-:Undertaker:-]

i dont disagree, in fact im glad you acknowledge the government you helped vote in is incompetent

so to ask the question again, how are border checks going to improve the movement of goods?

I forgot to answer this, sorry.

Border checks won't improve the movement of goods as we'll be - well we now are - in our own Customs Union, meaning more checks.

But I never voted Brexit to improve any movement of goods. One reason I voted for it was so we have our own Customs arrangements.