Providing a response to the announcement that the UK and EU governments have agreed a Brexit trade deal, Ian Henry, President of Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NI Chamber); said:
“After four long years of uncertainty and upheaval, businesses will welcome the news that the UK and EU have reached an agreement that will let companies plan for the future.
“Our members will now need to see the detail and digest the agreement, and consider what its detailed provisions will mean for firms moving goods, people and data across borders.
“We must now see pragmatic steps to smooth the introduction of the new arrangements from January, including easements for genuine administrative errors, clear procedures at ports, and fast help from customs authorities. Nowhere is this more acute and urgent than for businesses trading between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
“This will not be an easy change for many businesses, who have also been struggling to deal with the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic and the latest enhanced restrictions.”
