With hopefully minimal disruption

The United Kingdom left the European Union on 1st February 2020. Between February and December 2020 the UK was in a transition period under the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement. This transition period ended on 1st January 2021 and the ongoing relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union is being conducted under the terms of a new deal - The Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
BHETA (the British Home Enhancement Trading Association) has been helping our 300 members adapt to the transition with a series of up-to-date information articles, always linking to the latest government guidance, inviting expert speakers including freight companies, retailers, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and the Bank of England to speak to our members via webinars and holding face to face meetings via the BHETA team. We have a separate BHETA Export Committee who advise and represent the members, and around half of our members export into the EU.
EU exports are hugely important for BHETA members as the EU is our nearest and largest trading partner. Securing a free trade deal with the EU was a major positive for the UK and was an important requirement for UK suppliers. It is also worth pointing out that many BHETA members have excellent long-standing trading relationships with EU customers and post Brexit it is evident that both sides are very committed to overcoming short-term challenges to continue those relationships.
The argument in favour of Brexit focused on the long-term benefits of being outside the now 27-member EU. They include new regulatory freedoms, an independent trade policy and a stricter immigration system to reinvent the UK labour force. It is still early days and, whilst there is no clear evidence yet of the benefits, the countries that are most often mentioned as potential growth areas under new rules would be Japan, India and the United States. For example, a UK/US trade agreement may cut tariffs on Scotch whisky, cars and ceramics, and create opportunities for services overseas, which is a significant proportion of Britain's economy. The UK may decide to reduce World Trade Organisation tariffs on products that are currently taxed to protect the interests of EU countries such as citrus fruit, wine, footwear and clothing.
The UK will also be able to re-shape its regulatory environment and reduce taxes. UK corporation tax is set at one of the lowest rates in Europe but it could be reduced even further. A lower tax regime could make the UK…