On Sat, 13 Feb 2021 10:04:42 -0000, "tim..."
wrote:

snip

It may be true that XYZ GMBH can buy their widgets from elsewhere, but they
can't turn that supply on in zero time to replace the order that UK PLC
tried to deliver today but is currently sitting in a customs office whilst
officials ague over form filling.

and the reality is that very many widgets can already be supplied by ROW at
much cheaper prices than the UK can supply, but companies don't buy from
these sources because quality can be iffy.

But any EU country requiring JIT supply who used to use the UK will
now look to other suppliers in the EU, where the quality is likely to
be the same, the pricing / quality similar but the delivery more
predictable.

So the argument that the paperwork puts up the UK costs doesn't wash.

It's puts up JIT supply 'costs', if you have to buy / stock more
locally to overcomes any delays.

were it not for reduced demand because of Covid, EU companies would be
hurting because of this supply issue

Except there are another 2* EU countries, many of whom can and do
supply a similar range of products we can / do and they will pick up
that trade. Or the UK based manufacturer / manufacturing / retailing
will move into the EU (as per JD Sports). Once lost we will never (and
not be able to) get it back.

Whist we were part of the team, we were given allowances, now we
aren't many will see no point in bothering with the extra ag of
getting stuff on / off this island and so won't bother.

Cheers, T i m