In the event of a no-deal Brexit, people travelling from the United Kingdom to European Union countries will be able to benefit from the return of duty-free shopping, the British Treasury announced on Tuesday.
"Passengers bound for the EU will be able to buy beer, spirits, wine and tobacco without paying the taxes that apply in the United Kingdom", according to a statement from the British Ministry of Finance.
This decision, announced on Tuesday by Chancellor of the Exchequer (Minister of Finance) Sajid Javid, means that a bottle of wine purchased at London Heathrow Airport on a duty-free basis by a passenger to the EU could be up to £2.23 (€2.5) cheaper, the Treasury stresses.
When leaving the EU, travellers would have the choice of purchasing unlimited amounts of cigarettes and alcohol with duty paid – as is the current situation – or to buy limited amounts at duty-free shops in the EU, the statement concluded.
“As we prepare to leave the EU, I’m pleased to be able to back British travellers," Javid said
“We want people to enjoy their hard-earned holidays and this decision will help holidaymakers’ cash go that little bit further,” he added.
Jules Johnston
The Brussels Times
