The additional requirements, tariffs, and safety checks needed for goods to pass through Britain's border are especially difficult for businesses transporting small quantities. This is a challenge for specialist food importers in London who source products from small suppliers across Europe. Yannos Hadjiioannou, owner of Maltby & Greek, has imported unique food and wine from Greece for the past decade, offering products rarely found in Britain. However, the recent changes have made it more challenging to discover and import these items, affecting the availability of goat-milk butter, Mastelo cheese, mountain tea, and Gigantes beans from Greece. After being postponed for a year, Britain began enforcing stricter customs requirements for goods coming from the European Union on January 1. In 2020, half of all imports into the country came from the EU. Now, goods must be accompanied by customs declarations, whereas last year importers had a six-month reporting delay. Additionally, businesses importing animal and plant products, such as most food, must notify the government of shipments in advance. Despite the new rules, the introduction at the border has been relatively smooth. DFDS, a Danish logistics company that operates ferry services to Britain, has reported that some customers made errors on their paperwork, resulting in delays of food shipments. Shipments from the Netherlands had to be temporarily halted due to a backlog from the previous day. Torben Carlsen, the CEO of DFDS, mentioned that everyone involved learned from the issues that arose a year ago when the European Union implemented customs rules after Brexit. The problems included delays in deliveries, trucking companies ceasing service to Ireland, and food spoilage in ports. It took over a month to resolve most of these issues. Britain faced financial constraints due to import issues this year, as approximately 25% of the country's food is imported from the European Union. This percentage increases significantly in the winter months for fresh produce. However, there are underlying challenges beyond border issues. Some British companies are absorbing the export expenses of their European partners to retain them, while others are decreasing imports, resulting in fewer options for consumers. Furthermore, some individuals are opting to only make bulk purchases and are refraining from experimenting with new products. The decrease in purchases was evident even before the implementation of the latest import regulations. According to the Food and Drink Federation, food and drink imports in the first nine months of 2021 decreased by approximately 11% compared to 2019. Hadjiioannou mentioned that after the UK exited the EU's customs union in early 2021, he initially continued business as usual. However, within six months, the added customs expenses and resulting price hikes became too costly to sustain. He no longer receives weekly shipments of anthotyro, a soft fresh sheep's milk cheese from Crete, and traditional strained sheep or goat yogurt, causing these popular products to frequently be out of stock. Sausages from Crete are now frozen instead of fresh to allow for larger, less frequent deliveries. The perishable products, especially the ones that were small in volume but important for many restaurants and delis, have been affected the most. The main impact of Brexit has been the loss of flexibility, according to Hadjiioannou. Maltby & Greek's warehouse is located at Spa Terminus, a collection of railway arches housing various food producers, wholesalers, and wine importers. During this time of year, the fresh produce available at markets includes 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 still faces additional costs. Sills purchases cheese from four small producers in the Netherlands, some of which do not even have email addresses. Now, each producer must have an Economic Operator's Registration and Identification number, as well as customs agents to handle export and tax paperwork. Additionally, they must complete more detailed invoices that include tariff codes. Sills mentioned that she covered the additional expenses for export clearances for the cheesemakers. Recently, she was able to consolidate the orders and pay only 65 euros ($74.50) for each invoice, in addition to her own import fees. "So far, they have not started covering the actual costs of the export charges," she explained. "I have been the one to cover them." Sills stated that the paperwork and costs are not overly burdensome. However, for businesses with numerous suppliers, the costs can add up quickly and become overwhelming, especially when purchasing small quantities. And this is the current result of Brexit for these businesses: additional expenses. According to David Henig, a trade policy expert in London, there are no longer major shortages, but the impact will be gradual and ongoing. The increased costs will have a negative impact on the UK economy, with forecasts predicting a long-term decrease of around 4% of GDP. This will result in less choice for consumers and will also reduce the motivation for companies to invest in Britain. Franco Fubini, founder of Natoora, stated that the company has become less focused on the U.K. in recent years. Natoora, which originated in London in 2004, now supplies fresh produce from small farms in Europe and North America to 1,600 restaurants globally and various shops, including Selfridges and Whole Foods in the United States. The company reorganized its processes so that the British division no longer imports directly 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 streamlined operations, resulting in cost savings on trucks and customs. Despite finding a solution, Fubini expressed concerns about Brexit damaging Britain's international reputation and causing him to reassess the future of his company. He stated that after 15 or 16 years, he began to question the level of investment in the U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a new trade deal with the European Union on Christmas Eve 2020, expressing hope that it would increase business with European partners. However, Brexit has actually made business more difficult due to increased red tape. While Brexit promised various benefits such as new markets and deregulation, the slow progress in realizing these benefits has frustrated supporters. Elena Deminska, who runs the fresh produce market at Spa Terminus, believes Brexit could be an opportunity for British farmers to produce more food that is currently imported from the EU. The nation's climate can support the growth of winter lettuce, broccoli raab, and even apricots with some effort, according to Deminska. However, she is frustrated by the inflexibility of farmers. Despite outsourcing customs work to an external company four years ago in anticipation of Brexit, Deminska is still struggling with the increased paperwork. She finds the situation unhelpful and believes there is already too much paperwork. These businesses are facing additional hurdles in the future. Starting in July, food imports will require health certificates signed by European Union inspectors and may undergo random checks at the border. These new regulations will increase complexity and costs, according to Fubini. It is expected to be disruptive.