Scots have been facing rocketing costs when buying goods from Europe as a result of Scotland being dragged out of the EU.
Buying goods from the EU has sky-rocketed as the UK is no longer a member of the single market or the customs union, meaning consumers in Scotland are facing increased costs when buying or selling to and from the EU as customs taxes now apply.
Research from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) has found that items are slapped with an extra 12% customs charge when being imported from the EU to the UK.
Scots have been reporting these issues with one business who ships from Poland seeing costs go from €36 to an eye-watering €2,000.
Also, a Scots family has reported that they cannot send parcels to their daughter in France due to customs charges being applied when it reaches there so they order from a company in France, driving trade away from Scottish businesses.
Commenting, SNP MSP Joe FitzPatrick said:
“The cost of Brexit is starting to bite for families and businesses as the consequences of the hard Tory Brexit come into the light.
“If we had remained inside the EU or if the Tories had listened to the Scottish Government to stay in the single market and customs union then these issues would not have surfaced.
“I have had constituents get in touch with me about the extortionate costs involved in buying goods from EU countries or sending parcels there.
“These costs have got to be recouped somewhere and it gets passed to the customer, meaning costs go up here for Scottish customers and also products sent to the EU go up, making them less competitive.
“The increase in costs don’t stop there as many businesses are facing an increase from increased paperwork and applying for customs declarations, these all mount up and it is putting the future of business at risk.
“It is becoming clearer by the day that Scotland’s best interests are served inside the European Union and re-joining the international community.
“The only way Scotland can do that is by becoming independent.”
