Brexit deadline for firms next week, German industry warns

TheLocal.de ^ | 13 March 2018 11:01 CET+01:00 | AFP

[Olog-hai]

German firms must begin planning for a worst-case “hard Brexit” that would slash trade between Britain and the EU if no deal is reached at an EU summit next week, a powerful industry body said on Tuesday.

The Federation of German Industry (BDI) urged British Prime Minister Theresa May and the remaining 27 EU leaders to agree a “status quo” transition period preserving present trade arrangements beyond Britain’s departure date of March 29th 2019. “Otherwise, some companies will be forced to bring their contingency plans into focus for the worst-case scenario, which no one wants, and which will damage everyone,” BDI director Joachim Lang said in a statement.

Negative effects from the approach of Brexit were already apparent, the BDI pointed out, with Britain dropping from second- to fifth-most-important trade partner for Germany last year.

Agreeing a transition period after Britain’s formal departure from the EU bloc by next week is tricky, as London and Brussels are at loggerheads over how to organize the border between the Republic of Ireland and British province Northern Ireland. Britain intends to leave the EU’s single market and customs union, which suggests the need for border controls somewhere. The EU text says Northern Ireland must stay in a customs union with the rest of the bloc if no better way is found to avoid a hard Irish border — which Britain rejects. …

[DoughtyOne]

Thanks so much for your support to this point... I personally apprecaite it...
FReepers, it's far beyond time to wrap up this FReep-a-thon.  Lets do it today.  Please chip in.

President Donald J. Trump and the Free Republic of the United States of America
President Donald J. Trump's address to the United Nations on 09/19/2017.

Ramirez political cartoon:  Trade War LARGE VERSION 03/12/2018: LINK  LINK to regular sized versions of his political cartoons (archive).
Garrison political cartoon:  Gun Control Supporters LARGE VERSION 03/13/2018: LINK  LINK (scroll down) to regular sized versions of his political cartoons (archive).

FReepers, 88.145% of the First Quarter FReep-a-thon goal has been met.  Click above and pencil in your donation now.  Please folks, lets end this FReepathon.  Thank you!
...this is a general all-purpose message, and should not be seen as targeting any individual I am responding to...

Just $752.00 dollars to 89.00%

[JudgemAll]

I have been saying it. Germans can huff and puff at England all they want, England has been lining up their pockets up to now