We live in a connected world, largely as a result of technological progress and this includes widespread usage of mobile devices and applications. This means the English Channel becomes as inconsequential as the Pacific as a barrier in video or audio communication terms, but for trade, and business meetings, the distances are so much more significant.
Trading goods and services with neighbours in Europe requires less travel, time, bureaucracy, fuel costs and pollution and environmental impact than trading further afield. Goods can be shipped across the continent in a matter of days, and aren’t at such risk of delay from factors like customs checks, monsoons, and shipping delays. Flights are cheaper and sea / car travel is sometimes feasible when trading within the same continent. The Eurostar provides a convenient link for businesspeople. Long haul flights, visa restrictions, and as we have seen with the USA, sometimes even ones nationality can constrain the ability to travel and hamper the efficiency of setting up trade links and business meetings. Customs requirements and tariffs can add a complex layer of time consuming and expensive paperwork.
As an example, for someone working as a mobile developer for a small technology company in the south west of the UK, one can easily fly directly to multiple destinations in Europe within a couple of hours, from a regional U.K. airport, and conduct a business meeting with a short stay and low expense. However a long haul flight to another continent can involve visa preparations, jet lag, and often means longer stays away from family and much more expense. With a more rigorous immigration and border control approach being applied in the USA, stories have emerged of long questioning of software developers by officials, and searches.
The benefits of easier and more free world trade are clear with much larger growth forecast over the next quarter of a century in countries such as Brazil, Russia, India and China, and many African and Asian nations, compared to Europe. The populations of these countries / continents and subsequent prospects are enormous. Moreover, recently a trade deal between Canada and the EU was apparently postponed by the actions of the Waloon parliament in Belgium. However there many are practicalities which seem to have been ignored in the Brexit debates. Some goods require fast delivery, such as those for an event on a particular date, and fresh foods which can’t spend too long in transit. The Euro single currency has suffered from much well deserved criticism, but it makes setting prices in just one currency much easier for exporters, and often payments within the Eurozone are easier and cheaper than across continents. However, Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin certainly will help to address this once they are more widespread and established.
Visa requirements for entry to EU states look set to become more comprehensive with the introduction of fingerprinting and photography of travellers, and if British people are faced with this bureaucracy it could add a lot of time and inconvenience to their travels.
Lastly, and importantly, timezones are so much easier when dealing with customers in the same continent. New trade deals with Australia, India, New Zealand and all the other commonwealth states are all well and good. However the time zones of these countries can present a challenge to communications and could mean longer or at least adapted working hours for workers of UK companies to serve the needs of customers in these markets.
The outcome of EU negotiations could have a dramatic effect upon U.K. exporters of goods and services to the continent, to the point where a bad outcome could cause annihilation. Maximum thought and insight should be given to the practicalities of world wide trade before business links are harshly hampered and obstructed with our nearest neighbours.