London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Aug 25, 2026

Brexit: Small businesses 'drowning in paperwork' face higher costs

Brexit: Small businesses 'drowning in paperwork' face higher costs

Small businesses importing food and wine from the European Union have warned they are "drowning" in paperwork because of Brexit.

The owners of Gwin Dylanwad wine shop and Ultracomida deli are worried about the future of their businesses because of additional transport costs and bureaucracy since leaving the EU.

Some businesses are concerned this will mean less choice for customers.

Welsh Office Minister David Davies has said things will improve with time.

Ultracomida owner Shumana Palit, who runs food shops and delicatessen specialising in Spanish food in Aberystwyth and Narberth, spent eight hours filling in the forms for one order of wine.

"We are drowning. There is a mountain of paperwork to do," she said.

"There is a cost of course, but it's also incredibly complicated. It's impossible to understand, and there is no help at all."

Ms Palit has challenged the government to fill in a declaration form with her because it is "absolutely impossible".

'Harder and more expensive'


Dylanwad Wine has been importing wine to his shop in Dolgellau in Gwynedd from Europe for nearly 20 years, but owner Dylan Rowlands said that it has become harder and more expensive since January.

"We are already having problems with how long orders are taking to arrive, but more importantly costs have increased," he said.

"I've just placed an order in France and transport costs have increased by 50%. And the cost of the paperwork - and there's a lot more of it - has doubled since last year," he said.

Welsh Office Minister David Davies said: "Obviously we have a new system. In a few weeks I expect people to develop more expertise, so we will see costs and time go down."

Ben Lake, the Plaid Cymru MP for Ceredigion, is concerned about the future of businesses if there is no help from the government.

"It's a difficult system for everyone, but the bigger companies have the legal expertise, whole departments possibly that can spend the substantial amount of time needed to fill in these forms," he said.

"It isn't the same for small businesses. Spending eight hours filling in a statement for one shipment is unbelievable and it isn't sustainable for small businesses."

'Less choice'


Mr Rowlands does not expect things to improve soon. In fact, he is concerned that new rules which come into force in July will make it even harder, if not impossible, for them to purchase wine from small vineyards.

He said they will require a new form for every different type of wine ordered, at a cost of 100 euros each - and is concerned that "costs would increase so much that we won't be able to import wine from this small family."

It is a concern shared by Ms Palit, who believes that customers will end up with less choice.

"What happens to the people selling interesting and new things?" she said.

"You are going to lose that, and you will end up with a homogenous offering, and what will be the point of the high street then?"


Confused by Brexit jargon? Reality Check unpacks the basics.


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Prime Minister Andy Burnham to Give Ukraine Classified Storm Shadow Blueprints for Domestic Missile Production
UK Graduate Job Vacancies Plunge 45% to Lowest Levels on Record
Government Audit Reveals Pressure on UK Hospitality From Business Rates and Rising Costs
Kindertransport Survivor Prepares to Revisit European Sites Linked to Her Family’s Wartime Separation
Northern England Transport Operators Strengthen Contingency Plans as Travel Demand Rises
New Implant Trials Offer Treatment Prospects for Patients With Refractory Angina
South Wales Reviews Wildfire Response After Exceptionally Dry Summer
UK Treasury Prepares Autumn Fiscal Statement Amid Spending and Defense Pressures
Norfolk Records First Wild Beaver Births in More Than Five Hundred Years
Historic Portrait of Benjamin Disraeli Reported Missing From Parliament’s Art Collection
Five People, Including Police Officers, Killed in A66 Crash as Families Pay Tribute
Most English Secondary Schools Found to Fall Short of National Healthy Food Standards
UK Think Tank Says Productivity Growth May Be Stronger Than Official Data Shows
Reform Party Proposes Lower Social Housing Priority for Foreign-Born UK Citizens
UK Government Plans Business Rate Overhaul to Ease Pressure on Pubs and Hotels
New Daily Diabetes and Weight-Loss Pill Launches Across NHS Pharmacies in England
UK Graduate Job Vacancies Fall to Lowest Level in a Decade
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham Visits Kyiv to Reaffirm Long-Term Military Support for Ukraine
Iranian Hackers Shut Down British Power Plant for Four Days in Landmark Cyber Attack
Novak Djokovic Reveals Relentless Self-Doubt and Rejects Retirement in New Documentary
Trump Imposes 50% Tariffs on Canadian Goods After Bilateral Trade Talks Collapse
First Bus Bars Unaccompanied Under-Sixteens From Evening Services in Stoke-on-Trent
Lithium-Ion Battery Fires Cost UK Waste Sector About One Billion Pounds a Year
Reform UK Proposes Lower Social Housing Priority for Foreign-Born Naturalised Citizens
UK Government Deploys AI Drones in Crackdown on Illegal Waste Dumping
EU Biometric Border Checks Cause Disruption for British Travellers and Freight Operators
UK Expands Voluntary Drug Treatment Programme for Sex Offenders to Twenty Prisons
CrossCountry Cancels Most Services After Major Power Failure at Control Centre
Met Office Warns El Niño Could Bring Severe Autumn Storms and Higher Food Prices
Resolution Foundation Says UK Productivity Growth May Be Stronger Than Official Data Suggest
Andy Burnham Proposes Giving Regional Mayors Greater Planning Powers
UK Government Overhauls Planning Rules to Accelerate Housing Near Transport Links
Russia Withdraws Ambassador to Britain and Warns of Retaliation Over UK Drone Supplies to Ukraine
Iran-Linked Hackers Blamed for Cyberattack That Shut Down UK Power Plant
Andy Burnham Pledges UK Support for Long-Range Missile Production in Ukraine
Australia Combines Indigenous Fire Knowledge With Satellite Tech to Combat Catastrophic Wildfires
Father and Son Jailed in Scotland Over £900,000 Airport Cannabis Smuggling Operation
UK Fraud Reports Surge Sevenfold as Criminals Exploit QR Codes in Parking Meters and Phishing Emails
Brighton Thrash Aston Villa in Four-Goal Opening Half as Manchester City Trail Bournemouth
Erin Patterson Appeals Triple Murder Convictions After Hotel Mixed Sequestered Jury With Prosecution
Bank of England Maintains Close Watch on Banks Amid Global Economic Uncertainty
Warm Weather and Tourism Support UK High Street Spending During Summer
Westminster Faces Continuing Political and Administrative Fallout From Epstein Files Release
UK Invests in Domestic Defence Drone Manufacturing to Strengthen Military Supply Chains
Around Five Million UK Households Face Higher Mortgage Payments by 2028
Bluetongue Virus Cases Rise Across England, Wales and Scotland
UK Government Holds First National Day for Victims and Survivors of Terrorism
Historic Summer Droughts Threaten UK Harvests and Put Further Pressure on Food Prices
UK Economy Holds Up in Second Quarter Despite Global Energy and Geopolitical Pressures
UK Opens National Artificial Intelligence Safety Testing Facility
×