The departure of the British from the European Union will be felt first by traders from Calais

The departure of the British from the European Union will be felt first by traders from Calais

Traders in the French port city of Calais are sadly watching Britain's departure from the European Union. In recent years, they have benefited significantly from the arrival of British tourists. Jerome Pont, who runs the Calais Vins wine and spirits trade, said that after Brexit, traders in Calais would have to prepare for new relations with Britain. Although London and Brussels have concluded a trade agreement that prevented harsh Brexit, uncertainty remains. In particular, Reuters reported on the amount of alcohol that the British would be able to import from the EU into Britain. Pont said in this connection that after Brexit, the store will start to focus more on customers from northern France, but he believes that the British will continue to go to Calais to buy cheaper wine. British customers accounted for about 30 percent of Calais Vins sales. According to Iris Cresp from the wine and cheese shop La Maison du Fromage et des Vins, Brexit has hit several shops in the city. "We expected to have good sales in November and December. We expected the British to come to stock up," he said. However, this did not happen, as did the pandemic of the new coronavirus. Sebastien Fournier from Emile Fournier et Fils, which specializes in the sale of smoked fish, does not expect significant losses in the first period after Brexit. However, he expects that by the end of next year, sales will be about a tenth lower due to Brexit.