Businesses call for closer EU trade links to ease strain
Companies say red tape and regulation post Brexit is holding them back
Businesses in Wiltshire are calling for closer trade ties with the EU to ease the strain they're under.
They say the amount of red tape and regulation they are subjected to in order to trade with key markets has grown massively since Brexit.
It's an issue South Cotswolds MP, Dr Roz Savage has raised during a parliamentary debate about Impact of the 2016 EU Membership Referendum, calling on the Government to improve regulations.
Nicky Kildunne from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) says the main problems are fairly simple.
"There's too much paperwork, the costs have gone up and moving goods around has become much more complicated," she said. "For the smallest businesses it's even tougher because they don't have dedicated staff for trade roles, so they're trying to figure it all out on top of everything else that they already do."
Nicky added that with more and more EU rules being introduced, small businesses are beginning to feel as though they are drowning in admin.
She told us that small companies are often hit hardest when there are issues in global supply chains, which can be caused by a variety of issues, as they don't have large teams or budgets to locate new suppliers quickly, meaning costs grow.
It often means they have to take the hit themselves or increase their prices, which could force customers away.
Nicky said: "Having stable, reliable trading links with Europe is really important for small businesses. It gives them certainty, it helps keep costs down and it makes it easier for them to plan for the future."
The FSB wants small businesses to be given clear and practical information as it can be "confusing and hard to find".
Nicky said progress is being made with the Government aiming to strike a deal with the EU to make it simpler and cheaper to move goods, with a call for information currently open.