Chaos averted, nightmare awaits. The “thin” trade deal agreed between the EU and Britain on Christmas Eve was a suitably dramatic end to four years of posturing, grandstanding and missed deadlines. Tariffs are avoided. The nitty-gritty of the trading relationship will be fine-tuned and agreed over the next four years. There will be no crashing out. Cheddar trade survives.
The transition period still ends on December 31, and there is considerable anxiety within the export community over what awaits. For the first time in nearly 50 years, customs and import controls will apply at ports and airports on both sides of the Irish Sea. According to the Revenue, one in five exporters do not have the required certification for a post-Brexit scenario.
Ireland is uniquely
