Discussing the Impact of Brexit on Wine Merchants with the BBC

11th December 2020

Brexit stockpiling: 'I can't get my wine out of the EU'

When the BBC wanted the inside knowledge about the impact of Brexit & a possible “no deal” would have on the UK wine merchant industry, they knew they needed to come to Stone, Vine & Sun & our very own, Simon Taylor.

Here's what the BBC reported:

Simon Taylor had been planning to stockpile wine before the end of the month just in case prices rise when the UK stops trading under EU rules.

The wine merchant says he now can't do so, as so many firms had the same idea.

Hauliers are booked up, leaving him with no way to get it back to the UK before the end of the year.

Wine chain Majestic, for example, has two million more bottles of wine in stock than it did this time last year, to guard against possible disruption.

"I basically can't get the wine out of Spain or Italy before the shutters come down on 31 December," Mr Taylor, the main owner of Stone, Vine & Sun, said.

"Huge volumes of wine are being shipped out of Europe. This is about potentially saving a huge amount of money," he added.

No-deal concerns

There are fears that if a trade deal can't be reached, the cost of goods imported from the EU will rise - and that could mean pricier wine.

And talks about a possible UK-EU trade deal remain at an impasse. On Thursday Prime Minister Boris Johnson said there was a "strong possibility" of no trade deal with the EU.

Mr Taylor said he expects wine prices to rise, even if the UK secures a deal with Brussels.

"My understanding is there's going to be a UK import levy of between 7-13 pence per bottle. There will be an administrative charge from our suppliers of 6-8p a bottle. We're led to believe that's what happens if we have a deal," he said.

"If we don't have a deal, there'll be further tariffs."

Mr Taylor said: "I've placed orders that I actually don't need now. But I have to have the wine here. January could be much more chaotic. I just don't think customs officials are going to be able to cope."

"We still don't know what we're coping with. How can they be trained when we don't know what the guidelines will be? It's a shambles."

Vivienne Nunis, Business reporter, BBC News
11 December 2020

To discover the full article, please visit: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55260468

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