London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Aug 19, 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
UK Health and Economic Pressures Highlight Wider Strain on Households and Public Finances
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham Reaffirms Full Support for Ukraine Amid Russian Warnings
Sainsbury’s Suspends Live Facial Recognition at London Store After Customer Misidentified
Artists Urge UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham to Reject New North Sea Oil and Gas Licensing
UK Government Awards Four Hundred and Fifty-Six Million Pound Civil Service Training Contract to EY and KPMG
Global Government Bond Yields Rise as Middle East Conflict Fuels Inflation Concerns
British Housing Market Records Weakest August Since Two Thousand and Eighteen as Asking Prices Fall
UK Announces New Sanctions on Russian Shadow Fleet and Financial Institutions
UK Approves Virgin Rail Group Services Through Channel Tunnel, Challenging Eurostar
UK Government Backs Three Hundred Million Pound AI Investment Zone in North Lanarkshire
UK Declares National Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Imported Eggs
China’s Lifelike AI Humans Move From Livestreams Into Real-World Service Roles
UK Government Rolls Out £5.8 Billion Regional Investment Programme to Revive High Streets
AstraZeneca Ends Late-Stage Lung Cancer Trial After Data Shows No Survival Benefit
London Stocks Fall for Sixth Day as Bond Yields and Middle East Tensions Weigh on Markets
UK Government Rewrites Planning Rules to Accelerate Housing Near Transport Hubs
UK Wildfires Spread Across Southern England as Met Office Issues Severe Heat Warnings
British Doctors Warn Cancer Care Is at Risk as Hospitals Reject More Than a Quarter of Urgent Referrals
UK Hospitals Suspend Critical Care as Extreme Heat Exposes Infrastructure Failures
Sarah Ferguson Reportedly Retreats to Late Ex-Boyfriend's Swiss Chalet
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez Sign Prenup Protecting Their Separate Fortunes
Thieves Steal Antonello da Messina Renaissance Masterpieces From Sicilian Museum
Better.com Founder Who Fired 900 Employees on Zoom Is Ousted as CEO
Italian Speed Camera Issues Nearly 32,000 Fines in 10 Weeks, Worth More Than €3 Million
AI Manager at San Francisco Store Recommends Firing Human Employee
Google Launches Pixel 11 With Gemini AI at the Center of Its Hardware Strategy
Campaigners Press Government to Strengthen Rights for Four Million Gig Workers
Government Considers Higher Private Rents to Spread Asylum Accommodation Across UK
UK Moves to Protect Historic Pubs From Conversion Into Housing and Offices
Nigel Farage Wins Clacton By-Election to Return to House of Commons
British Manufacturers Report Rising Cybersecurity Threats Across Industrial Supply Chains
Royal Navy Increases Monitoring of Russian Ships in UK Waters by 25 Percent
England Adds More Than 350 Medical Training Posts to Strengthen NHS Capacity
NHS Waiting Lists Over 52 Weeks Rise by More Than 11,000 Patients
Brent Crude Near $88 Raises Fresh UK Energy Cost Concerns
UK Treasury Warns Prolonged Strait of Hormuz Disruption Could Cut 2027 Growth to 0.3 Percent
UK Economy Grows 0.4 Percent in Second Quarter as Energy and Inflation Risks Persist
UK Heatwave Triggers Emergency Alert as Government Unveils £65 Million Farm Support Package
Reform UK Unveils Plan to Cut Welfare Spending by More Than £50 Billion a Year
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Praised Extinction Rebellion for Doing a 'Great Service'
UK Wildfire Phone Alert Triggers Backlash as Users Switch Off Emergency Warnings
Heathrow Roads Reopen After Burst Water Main Floods Access to Terminals 2 and 3
Former NBA Players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White Say They Will Enter 2027 WNBA Draft
Former Cambridge Professor Jason Arday Found Dead Days After Resigning Amid Plagiarism Row
US Appeals Court Rules AI Agent's Website Actions Are Legally Attributed to the User
France's Constitutional Council Blocks Social Media Ban for Children Under 15
Liechtenstein Changes Royal Succession Rules to Allow Women to Inherit the Throne
Women Allege Rape and Sexual Abuse at British Army College for Teenage Recruits
Minnesota: Two independent investigators posed as Muslims (one wearing a burqa) and showed how they could vote in elections without identification.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham Takes Regional Tour to Highlight Local Infrastructure and Environmental Problems
×