A departing passenger looks at perfumes at a Duty Free store at Malta International Airport in Luqa, Malta August 2, 2017.REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi
LONDON — Forty Conservative MPs have signed a letter calling for the return of duty free shopping with Europe after Brexit.
The Sun reports that MPs, led by Dover MP Charlie Elphicke, have written to Chancellor Philip Hammond asking him to change the law so that duty free shopping with the EU can resume from March 2019, when Britain officially leaves the EU.
Duty free shopping is where travellers can buy goods in locations like ports and airports that are exempt from certain local taxes, such as VAT. The idea is that these goods will be taken out of the country.
Duty free trade with Europe ended in 1999, as the UK is part of the EU single market and so trade is unified.
The Tory MPs who have written to the Chancellor say that duty free shopping should return post-Brexit, as the UK has committed to leaving the EU single market.
Elphicke and his co-signatories argue that the return of duty free will boost regional airports and port towns like his constituency Dover by encouraging holiday-makers to spend more when passing through while traveling.
Graham Brady, chair of the influential Tory 1922 committee, told The Sun: “There are some simple changes to the law that could be done now to make sure that duty free will come back as soon as we leave the EU.”
“This will benefit British people travelling and will be an important boost to our world leading travel and aviation industry.”
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