The United Kingdom and the EU-European Union have completed the procedure for a full-scale withdrawal and will begin a new relationship based on the agreed free trade agreement.

Unlike in the past, where people and goods were free to come and go, the relationship between the two will change significantly, such as the introduction of border control.

The UK and the EU continued negotiations on free trade agreements after the UK left in January last year, and reached a last-minute agreement in December last year.



Measures to avoid the effects of rapid economic and social changes associated with withdrawal will end in 31 days, and a new relationship between the two will begin.



Until now, people and goods have been free to come and go, but in the future, it will be managed at the border, and in the UK, a system to issue visas based on points based on annual income and English proficiency has been introduced, and immigrants are accepted. Is expected to be limited.



The UK wants to strengthen its economic ties with the United States and the Asia-Pacific region, including Japan, but the new coronavirus has hit the economy hard and there is a free trade agreement with the EU. However, new labor and costs will be incurred, such as the need for customs clearance procedures.



In addition, the momentum for independence is rising again in Scotland, which has opposed withdrawal in the country.



On the other hand, the issue is whether the EU side can maintain its centripetal force by showing the merits of remaining in the EU to member countries and their citizens.



It took four and a half years from the referendum that decided to withdraw, and the series of procedures was finally completed, but the UK and the EU will continue to seek to build a new relationship.

UK / EU Changes due to new relationships

As the new relationship between the UK and the EU begins, various rules regarding civil life and local business will change.

Movement of people

Citizens can live and work anywhere in the EU, regardless of national borders, but the United Kingdom is excluded from this.



The UK has introduced a new point system based on skills, annual income, English proficiency, etc. If this standard is not met, EU citizens will not be accepted.



In the UK, people migrating from the EU support the industry in a wide range of fields such as restaurants, factories, and long-term care facilities, and there are concerns that some businesses will face labor shortages.

logistics

In principle, all items are not subject to tariffs due to the free trade agreement between the two parties, but new customs clearance procedures are required.



As a result, when transporting packages from the UK to the EU and from the EU to the UK, the contents, quantity, amount, etc. must be declared in advance.



Since this is a procedure that has never been done before, it is expected that not only will the burden on the business operator increase, but logistics will be disrupted for a while and transportation will be delayed.

Product standards

Standards related to the safety of industrial products are different.



The UK has traditionally followed the EU's unified rules, but since then it has introduced its own standards.



For this reason, businesses must obtain certification that meets their respective standards even for the same product, which may lead to increased costs.