Brexit rules hitting booming cycle trade

A businessman says his trade is being severely affected by regulations caused by Brexit.
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David Stainthorpe of Cyclesense, which has two stores in Tadcaster and a registered office in Thorner, said he is facing weeks of shipping delays.

“I am still waiting for products to arrive at my business that left The Netherlands weeks ago,” said the managing director of the 30-year-old family cycling firm.

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“These ten bikes arrived at Dartford on March 15 but it will be at least 20 more days before the consignment is processed and shipped onwards to Tadcaster.

“This is a process that would take three days before Brexit. Now it’s six weeks.”

“They are with the forwarder, who I am not criticising.

“The shipper is doing everything they can but every single assignment has about 11 sheets of paper now and let’s say that could be an electric kettle or a lorry, it is going to have the same amount of paperwork. It is beyond all belief really.”

Cyclesense sells bikes, equipment and clothing but Mr Stainthorpe said Brexit regulations are affecting his business, which enjoyed a lockdown boom because of the increased popularity in cycling.

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“We can’t get the stock from Europe,” he explained. “But it is affecting our business in a smaller way with exports.

“We do sell small items to lots of people in Europe but we have had to pull the plug on that because there isn’t a system of getting stuff out of the country.

“If we had to rely on this we would have gone bust.

“I didn’t vote for Brexit but we have got to live through it and meanwhile, it is not helping my business.”

Now Mr Stainthorpe has raised the issue with his local Conservative MPs Nigel Adams, Selby and Ainsty, and Alec Shelbrooke MP for Elmet and Rothwell.

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Mr Shelbrooke told the News: “I am regularly in touch with Ministers in order to raise specific issues brought to my attention by constituents and I have been raising issues faced by the high street over the last year.

“As the “Retail Sector” report published on the 24th March makes clear: the high street has been hardest hit by the pandemic.

The impact of COVID-19 on trade and on confidence in imports and exports to the EU is apparent; not helped by interventions of the EU Commission threatening the block the movement of vaccines into the UK.

“The vaccine programme is key to helping our high streets bounce back.”

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Mr Shelbrooke added: “Had we remained in the EU, we would now be stuck in the same mire European countries are because of inaction and confusion over vaccine procurement and supply by the European Commission.

“The UK has the best vaccine rollout in Europe but we must be ready to help businesses bounce back after 12th April and the UK’s import system for global trade is key to this.”

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