Sector leaders advocate a range of feasible solutions, some of which the Government could introduce unilaterally in the short term
Manufacturing is no small player. Despite a widespread perception that the UK is a post-industrial society, manufacturing still plays a huge role. It accounts for 2.5 million jobs, 51 per cent of goods exported and 15 per cent of all investment. Its survival and ability to thrive is essential for many of our less wealthy regions, including the North East, Wales and the Midlands.
At the heart of this, many in the sector believe, was a blindness among those who negotiated the TCA of the realities of modern manufacturing. Gone are the days where individual companies would manufacture a product from beginning to end. Modern European manufacturers source parts and expertise from across the continent – facing cost and practical barriers to accessing this network of goods, parts, innovation and expertise is costing the sector dear.
The Government has failed to recognise the lead times involved in complex supply chains and in both maintaining and developing manufacturing processes. Right now there are clear examples of the lack of clarity over UK policy in the latest round of EU Russian sanctions and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, as well as the changes to rules of origin enshrined in the TCA.
Manufacturing leaders are clear that the impact of the TCA on the sector and the wider economy is severe and is only likely to worsen unless remedial action is taken. They describe impacts on productivity and wages and believe it has made the UK less competitive. This is “putting off potential EU investors and employers” and leaves “the manufacturing industry limping”. They highlight chronic labour shortages and the impact of ongoing investment uncertainty.
Many believe the Government has made the impact worse through its failure to have a clear vision of how to support the sector post Brexit. A prime example has been the now all but abandoned introduction of the UKCA mark. Companies spent millions of pounds and countless hours trying to conform before the Government announced its indefinite postponement for most sectors.
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