The additional paperwork, fees, and safety checks required for goods to pass through Britain's border are particularly challenging for businesses that transport small quantities. This is especially difficult for specialist food importers in London who source products from small suppliers across Europe, as it limits their ability to import unique items. Yannos Hadjiioannou, owner of Maltby & Greek, has been importing food and wine from Greece for the past decade and prides himself on offering products that are not commonly found in Britain. However, obtaining these items has become more difficult in the past two weeks due to the new regulations. After a delay of one year, starting on January 1, Britain began enforcing stricter customs requirements for goods arriving from the European Union, which made up half of the country's imports in 2020. Now, all goods must be accompanied by customs declarations, whereas in the previous year, British importers had a six-month reporting delay. Additionally, businesses importing animal and plant products, such as most food items, are now required to notify the government of shipments in advance. Despite the new rules, the implementation at the border has been relatively smooth. DFDS, a Danish logistics company that operates ferry services to Britain, reported that some customers had filled out paperwork incorrectly, leading to delays in 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 tried to learn from the issues that arose a year ago when the European Union implemented customs rules following Brexit. The problems included delayed deliveries, trucking companies avoiding serving Ireland, and food spoiling in ports. It took over a month to resolve most of these issues. Britain faced financial constraints due to import issues this year, as around a quarter of the country's food is typically imported from the European Union. This percentage increases significantly during the winter months for fresh produce. However, there are hidden challenges beyond just border issues. Some UK businesses are absorbing the export costs of their European suppliers to maintain their relationships, while others are opting to import less, resulting in fewer options for customers. Other people are also choosing to only buy in bulk and are not willing to experiment with new products. The decrease in purchases was evident even before the new import regulations were implemented. The Food and Drink Federation reported that food and drink imports decreased by approximately 11% in the first nine months of 2021 compared to 2019. Hadjiioannou mentioned that after Britain exited the EU's customs union in early 2021, he continued business as usual. However, within six months, the extra customs fees and resulting price hikes became too expensive. He no longer receives weekly deliveries of anthotyro, a soft fresh sheep’s milk cheese from Crete, and traditionally strained sheep or goat yoghurt, causing these popular products to frequently be out of stock. Sausages from Crete are now frozen instead of fresh, allowing for larger, less frequent deliveries. The perishable products, especially those that were small in volume but important for many restaurateurs and delis, have been most affected. 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 season, the fresh produce available at markets consists of Sicilian citrus, Italian leafy greens, and French root vegetables. In contrast to Maltby & Greek, Rachel Sills specializes in selling cheese from Switzerland and the Netherlands. While her prior experience with exporting from Switzerland helped her navigate Brexit's trade regulations, she still faces increased costs. Sills sources cheese from four small producers in the Netherlands, some of whom do not even have an email address. These producers now have to obtain an Economic Operator's Registration and Identification number, hire customs agents for export and tax paperwork, and provide 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 only 65 euros ($74.50) for each invoice, in addition to her own import fees. She emphasized that the cheesemakers have not yet started paying the actual costs of the export charges, as she has been covering them. Sills also stated that while the paperwork and cost are not overly burdensome individually, they can become overwhelming for companies with numerous suppliers, particularly when purchasing small quantities. So far, Brexit has resulted in additional costs for these businesses. According to trade policy expert David Henig, there are no longer wild shortages but instead a slow economic decline due to extra expenses. Independent forecasts predict a long-term GDP shortfall of around 4%. This will likely lead to less variety for customers and discourage companies from investing 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 started in London in 2004, now supplies fresh produce from small farms in Europe and North America to 1,600 restaurants worldwide and stores like Selfridges and Whole Foods. The company reorganized its processes so that its British branch no longer imports directly from farms in Italy, France, Spain, and Greece. Instead, more employees were hired in Paris and Milan to buy the produce, which is then sold to the London office. This consolidation has resulted in cost savings on trucks and customs. Fubini mentioned that although Natoora found a solution, Brexit has negatively impacted Britain's international reputation, causing him to reconsider the company's future. He stated that after many 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 claimed it would facilitate more business with European partners, but it actually made things more complicated. Brexit was supposed to free Britain from Brussels bureaucracy but instead, it has created new obstacles for businesses. Despite promises of new markets and deregulation, the slow realization of benefits has disappointed even supporters. Elena Deminska, who runs the Puntarelle & Co fresh produce market, believes Brexit could be a chance for British farmers to produce more food domestically. The nation has the right conditions for growing winter lettuce, broccoli raab, and even apricots with some effort, according to Deminska. She is frustrated, however, that farmers are not adaptable. Despite outsourcing her customs work to an external company four years ago, she is still struggling with the additional paperwork caused by Brexit. Deminska finds it unhelpful and believes there is already too much paperwork to deal with. There are more challenges on the horizon for all these businesses. Starting in July, food imports will be required to have health certificates signed by European Union inspectors and may be subjected to random checks at the border. These new regulations are expected to increase complexity and cost, causing disruptions in the process.