The extra paperwork, fees, and safety checks required for goods to enter Britain are especially challenging for businesses that deal with small quantities. This is a particular concern for specialty food importers in London who source products from small suppliers across Europe. Yannos Hadjiioannou, the owner of Maltby & Greek, has faced difficulties importing unique products from Greece due to these new regulations. Customers can find rare items like goat-milk butter, Mastelo cheese, mountain tea, and Gigantes beans at his shop under the arches on Saturdays. The process of importing these goods has become more complex in recent weeks. After a delay of one year, Britain began enforcing stricter customs requirements for goods arriving from the European Union on January 1. In 2020, half of all imports into the country came from the EU. Now, all goods must be accompanied by customs declarations, whereas last year British importers had a six-month reporting delay. Additionally, businesses importing animal and plant products, such as food, must notify the government in advance of shipments. The implementation of these new rules at the border has been relatively smooth. DFDS, a Danish logistics company that operates ferry services to Britain, stated that some customers had incorrectly completed paperwork, resulting in some food shipments being halted. Shipments from the Netherlands had to be temporarily suspended on one day to address a backlog from the previous day. Chief executive Torben Carlsen mentioned that all parties involved made an effort to learn from the issues that occurred a year ago. Last year, the European Union implemented customs regulations immediately after Brexit, leading to delays in deliveries, disruptions in trucking services to Ireland, and food spoilage in ports. It took over a month to resolve most of these problems. Britain faced financial constraints due to import issues this year. Approximately 25% of the nation's food is brought in from the European Union, with the amount increasing significantly during the winter months for fresh produce. Despite this, there are obstacles beyond the border that are not immediately apparent. Some UK companies are absorbing the export expenses of their European partners in order to retain their business, while others are opting to import fewer products, resulting in fewer options for consumers. Others are choosing to only make bulk purchases and are avoiding experimenting with new products. The decrease in imports was already evident before the new import regulations were implemented. According to the Food and Drink Federation, food and drink imports dropped by approximately 11% in the first nine months of 2021 compared to 2019. Despite continuing business as usual after Britain's departure from the EU customs union at the beginning of 2021, Hadjiioannou stated that within six months, the extra customs expenses and resulting price hikes became unsustainable. He has stopped receiving weekly shipments of anthotyro, a soft fresh sheep's milk cheese from Crete, as well as traditionally strained sheep or goat yogurt, resulting in these popular products frequently being out of stock. The sausages from Crete are now being delivered frozen instead of fresh in larger, less frequent shipments. According to Hadjiioannou, many perishable products have been affected, especially those that were small in volume but important to many restaurants and delis. The main impact of Brexit has been the loss of flexibility. Maltby & Greek's warehouse is located at Spa Terminus, which is a row of railway arches home to food producers, wholesalers, and wine importers. During this season, the fresh products available at the markets include Sicilian citrus, Italian leafy greens, and French root vegetables. Rachel Sills, who sells cheese from Switzerland and the Netherlands, has experience exporting from Switzerland, which has helped her navigate Brexit's trade rules. However, she is still facing additional costs. Sills purchases cheese from four small producers in the Netherlands, some of which do not even have email addresses. Now, each producer is required to have an Economic Operator's Registration and Identification number, customs agents for export and tax paperwork, and more detailed invoices with tariff codes. Sills mentioned that she had covered the additional expenses for export clearances on behalf of the cheesemakers. Recently, she managed to consolidate the orders and pay just 65 euros ($74.50) for each invoice, in addition to her own import fees. Sills pointed out that the cheesemakers have not yet started paying the actual costs of the export charges, as she has been covering them herself. While Sills acknowledged that the paperwork and costs are not overly burdensome, she noted that for companies with numerous suppliers, the cumulative cost can become overwhelming, particularly when purchasing small volumes. And for these businesses, Brexit has ultimately resulted in additional expenses. While there are no longer extreme shortages, trade policy expert David Henig warns that the impact will be gradual but significant, likening it to a "slow boiling frog." The extra costs are expected to harm Britain's economy, with forecasts predicting a long-term GDP shortfall of around 4%. According to Henig, customers may have fewer choices as a result. Furthermore, Brexit continues to reduce the motivation for companies to invest in Britain. Franco Fubini, the founder of Natoora, stated that the company has become less focused on the U.K. in recent years. Natoora, which was established in London in 2004, now supplies fresh produce from numerous small farms in Europe and North America to around 1,600 restaurants worldwide and various shops, including Selfridges and Whole Foods in the United States. The company restructured its internal processes so that the British branch no longer directly imports from farms in Italy, France, Spain, and Greece. Instead, more staff were hired in Paris and Milan to purchase the produce, which is then sold to the London office. This consolidation has resulted in only one invoice, saving money on transportation and customs. Despite finding a solution, Fubini mentioned that Brexit has negatively impacted Britain's global reputation, causing him to reassess his company's future. He said that for the first time in 15 or 16 years, he began to question the level of investment in the U.K. When Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the new trade deal with the European Union on Christmas Eve 2020, he stated that the agreement would enable companies and exporters to increase business with European partners. However, in reality, the deal has made business more difficult. Brexit may release Britain from rules set by Brussels, but it has created new complications for businesses. While Brexit was expected to bring benefits such as access to new markets and less regulation, supporters are frustrated by the slow progress in realizing these advantages. Elena Deminska, who runs the fresh produce market at Spa Terminus, Puntarelle & Co, believes Brexit could offer British farmers the opportunity to produce more of the food currently imported from the EU. The nation has the right weather for growing winter lettuce or broccoli raab, or even apricots with some effort, according to Deminska. However, she is frustrated with the inflexible farmers. Deminska wisely outsourced her customs work to an external company four years ago, but she is still struggling with the additional paperwork brought on by Brexit. She finds it unhelpful and believes there is already too much paperwork. These businesses will face more challenges in the future. Starting in July, health certificates signed by European Union inspectors will be required for food imports and may be subject to random checks at the border. These new regulations will increase complexity and costs, according to Fubini. The changes are seen as disruptive.