‘Perfect storm’: a look back at a tumultuous year of Brexit and Covid

UK trade has taken a double whammy and few believe new deals can make up the loss

Lorries queue for the frontier control area at the Port of Dover in Kent, England last year. In 2021, companies in Britain suffered from the worst trade disruption in recent memory, as problems caused by Brexit collided with the pandemic.

When Britain fully left the European Union in January, it marked the start of a very difficult 12 months for the entrepreneur Rob Law, whose Trunki children’s suitcases used to sell well in mainland Europe.

“We’ve had so many logistical challenges,” he said. “It’s been the perfect storm.” While trade has picked up since the start of the year, supply bottlenecks and the coronavirus Omicron variant have added to the challenges posed by the end of the transition period.