With a no-deal Brexit looming and a snap election in England next month, export quota changes could affect New Zealand exports into both the United Kingdom and the European Union.
Export NZ chief executive Catherine Beard told TVNZ 1’s Breakfast New Zealand exporters are worried about existing quotas for meat and dairy.
“At the moment that is treated as a basket. There is talk about them wanting to split those quotas up and our exporters are not very happy about that.
“For New Zealand exporters they need to be contacting their customers in the UK,” she said.
“I know that there has been a lot of planning going on this situation has been going on forever so companies are planning as much as they can, but of course you never know what the unknown's going to bring.”
However, Ms Beard said it's very difficult for New Zealand businesses to plan for something when they’re not sure how its going to look.
She said New Zealand has got Customs and Ministry of Primary Industry representatives in the UK both and New Zealand businesses can become a registered trader with the UK.
“A lot of traders have done that. Our advice is they’re not going to be really tough on tariffs in the short term because obviously for political reasons you would want to keep the trade flowing.
She said the difficulty is really going to be between the EU and the UK.
“The EU is not going to let the UK get off scot free from this.”
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