Brexit a new world that British businesses are still figuring out

It took just nine months to strike a trade deal with the EU. It will take more time to get to grips with the details

British businesses probably didn’t expect to start 2021 worrying about wooden pallets after a year of grappling with the coronavirus and a meltdown in the economy.

Yet as they start a new relationship with the European Union, securing a supply of heat-treated platforms—baked to 56 degrees Celsius for at least 30 minutes—is now one of the myriad issues they face.

The 1,200-page trade deal struck by Prime Minister Boris Johnson after a little over nine months of negotiations ended the uncertainty that the UK would crash out of the bloc in chaos. 
 

While the zero-tariff, zero-quota accord is a relief