US Chamber Says Any Brexit More Difficult for Exporters Than Status Quo

The executive director of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's U.S.-UK Business Council, said that even a customs union would be more complicated for U.S. exporters than the status quo. Marjorie Chorlins was speaking with reporters on a conference call April 17. "The amendment proposing a customs union came very close to passing," she said, in response to a question from Export Compliance Daily. But exactly what would be included in the customs union could vary -- it does in Norway and Turkey, she said.

The Chamber has not taken a position on how it would like the future relationship of the United Kingdom and European Union to be structured, except to say it wants a transition period of at least 20 months and it hopes for "an environment that remains as frictionless as possible."

Chorlins said "American companies have a huge stake in how this goes, both as exporters and as investors." Because of the fear of a crash-out Brexit, Chorlins said express shippers hired a lot of additional customs agents. She said she doesn't know whether those new hires will be retained throughout the negotiations and a transition.