Sigh

"EU sources say the lack of provisions on shellfish exports was brought up numerous times in the talks as a concern. But the UK refused to engage, as it did on wider SPS issues, over fears of 'being drawn into the EU's regulatory sphere'."

Here is the rub: actually exporting shellfish is OK, but it is the water they are transported in whilst alive that is the issue. Same with plants; actual plants OK, soil? no OK.

These are good exampled of non-tariff barriers. Regulatory compliance that any goods or services must comply with to enter either the EU SM or CU.

Back in 2016, I learned something important very early on. That,, if someone is talking about exports purely in terms of tariffs, they don't understand trade. It is non-tariff barriers that will kill trade.

Such barriers can be compliance to standards or testing, to something as simple as in which language(s) instructions and warnings must be in.

Once the UK left the EU, it could no longer influence the non-tariff barriers that the EU might apply to any goods or services, other than what the WA or TCA specifically says it can.

THe sound of UK Mnisters complaining and writing "strongly worded letters to the EU" is simply Brexit meaning Brexit. THe UK left the EU, it is just another third country, and due to the most favoured nation rules, the EU must apply the same rules and standards to the EU as it does all other third countries.

Simple.

Brexit means Brexit.

And that sound? the sound of Ministers and Prime Ministers not understanding what they signed up to.

Meanwhile, yesterday a junior Minister, can't remember her name, sorry, was asked about visas for touring musicians and artists, and she explained that that would require the UK to allow EU musicians and artists the same visa free travel for 90 days "and that wasn't compatible with Brexit".

So, as expected, another roaring UK success to be thrown onto the Brexit pyre in the name of ending free movement, though it will make the musicians and artists poorer, and the UK culturally poorer too.

But blue passports!