A no-deal Brexit could bring tariffs of 40 per cent or more on food including beef and cheese, UK and Irish retail organisations have warned.

The British Retail Consortium (BRC), Northern Ireland Retail Consortium (NIRC) and Retail Ireland have issued a joint warning that a hard Brexit also could lead to delays at borders and shortages of fresh meat, fish, fruit and vegetables, partly because the UK imports a lot of fresh, out-of-season produce at that time of year. (Some 90 per cent of the lettuce consumed in Britain, 80 per cent of tomatoes and 70 per cent of soft fruits come from, or arrive via, Europe.)

 

Increased tariffs and delays as a consequence of new regulatory checks also would drive up the cost of fresh food and drink, which would be passed on to consumers, the retail bodies warned.

 

Specifically, no deal would see both the UK and EU revert to World Trade Organization 'most-favoured nation' tariffs, which would mean a 42 per cent tariff on imported cheddar, 46 per cent on mozzarella, 40 per cent on beef, 21 per cent on tomatoes and 15.5 per cent on apples.