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London (AP) - The British trade association BRC has warned of a “customs bomb” for supermarkets and consumers if the United Kingdom does not agree on a Brexit trade pact with the EU.
In this case, tariffs averaging more than 20 percent would be due on fresh food such as fruit and vegetables imported from the EU, said the BRC (British Retail Consortium).
Currently around 80 percent of UK food imports come from the European Union.
A few weeks before the end of the transition phase on December 31, in which Great Britain is still a member of the customs union and the EU internal market, it is "alarming" that no trade agreement has yet been concluded, said BRC expert Andrew Opie.
"There is no way for retailers to completely prevent effects on food and other important goods."
According to a study by the Food Foundation charity, a British family can expect four percent more costs for fruit and vegetables if the higher tariffs are passed on directly to consumers.
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Earlier, the boss of the retail giant Tesco, John Allan, had warned that the average grocery shopping could be around five percent more expensive.
Foreign Minister Dominic Raab had admitted that a "rocky road" lay ahead.
But he was "not worried" about possible price increases or the temporary shortage of some goods.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 201211-99-652716 / 3