NOT concerned about the UK leaving the EU?

Well, maybe I can share my own small experience of the dangers of doing business outside of the European single market.

I run an online shop from my home in Bournemouth and sell to people all around the world including most countries in Europe.

Last week I sold a silver necklace to a customer in Canada for £96.00. She contacted me, distressed, to tell me that she’d had a £27.00 tariff imposed, which she was forced to pay upon receipt of the parcel.

I understand that this is normal for some countries outside and even inside some trade agreements.

The tariff represents a 30 per cent surcharge on goods and is quite likely to be the additional cost that we will have to pay on goods, even for a single item bought online, when purchased from Europe.

A reciprocal arrangement will mean a tariff on goods sold too.

This will make goods more costly to buy and our products prohibitively expensive for our European customers who presently purchase almost half our products.

I hope that all you keen Brexiteers are fully aware of this especially when enthusiastically casting your votes in June.

So far Sterling has fallen, representing a 10 per cent loss of our country’s wealth, prices are rising, businesses are quitting the UK and the certain imposition of tariffs will surely be catastrophic for this country.

SALLY WILTON

Surrey Road, Bournemouth

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