German businesses say it will be ‘extraordinarily difficult’ to protect the UK from the impact of Brexit

Dieter Kempf, president of the BDI — a federation which represents the German industries — told the newspaper: “Defending the single market, a key European project, must be the priority for the European Union.

“Europe must maintain the integrity of the single market and its four freedoms: goods, capital, services, and labour.

“It is the responsibility of the British Government to limit the damage on both sides of the Channel.

“Over the coming months, it will be extraordinarily difficult to avert negative effects on British businesses in particular.”

The stark interventions come after the G20 summit, at which US President Donald Trump met the prime minister and pledged to sign a free trade deal with the UK “very, very quickly” after Brexit.