Britain is already heading for the worst coronavirus-induced slump of any major economy. Now fears are rising that businesses could be slammed by a second body blow this year — the failure of trade talks with the European Union.

Exclusive: pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson fears border delays could disrupt flow of vital medical supplies

The Health Secretary, announced he has become the world’s leading buyer of fridges, so he can stockpile medicines in the event of no deal – no one wrote that on the side of a bus.

The sector fears shortages: of medicine, of staff, and of answers.

Airbus SE, one of the most outspoken companies about the risk of a no-deal Brexit, is telling European countries to prepare for a worst-case scenario so they aren’t caught flat-footed when the next deadline on Oct. 31 approaches.

Usually the domain of survivalist groups and doomsday "preppers," food stockpiling has gained some mainstream appeal in the UK recently ...

The body bags are being stockpiled in case the mortality rate increases as a result of Brexit.

Three NHS trust chief executives tell Sky News the government's no-deal Brexit planning is like "navigating through treacle".

Ease of trading is key measure of success, say cross-channel businesses, not lack of lorry traffic.

With the NHS under such exceptional pressure during the coronavirus crisis, it’s easy to overlook the fact that the UK’s Brexit transition period ends on December 31. Mark Dayan takes a closer look at how these two challenges for the health service might collide, and says there is a case to err on the side of caution.

Stockpiling to prepare for Brexit caused a record jump in the amount of goods held by UK factories, according to a survey.

Bonded customs warehouses are in demand to manage duties / U.K. firms exporting food to Ireland snap up Dublin storage

Supplies face ‘unprecedented’ disruption, yet ministers have not shared assessments with public for fear of sparking panic-buying by consumers.

An A-Z of Brexit impact stories by company.

Growth slows as overseas companies buy elsewhere amid uncertainty, survey suggests. / Britain's manufacturing sector suffered a slowdown in growth in April as Brexit resulted in an acceleration of foreign firms shunning the UK and sourcing goods from elsewhere.

Exporters forced to fill in 48 million customs declarations and 140,000 health certificates over eight-month period.

Stockpiling ahead of Brexit was one of the main reasons for the Scottish economy growing.

Britain’s looming departure from the European Union has sparked a rush to bring goods into the country before Jan. 1, pushing up delivery prices and generating queues at borders.

A cold storage firm says it has run out of room because the food industry is stockpiling in the run-up to Brexit.

The very real possibility of a no-deal Brexit has sparked concerns about rising food prices and supply shortages in the UK. Forty percent of the fresh produce, including fruit and vegetables, consumed in the country comes from the European Union.

As the prospect of a no-deal Brexit looms, some British companies are stockpiling goods. Owners of frozen and chilled storage space say they're fully booked until the middle of 2019.

Former Siemens chief Juergen Maier says disruption will last at least six months even if trade deal is reached

Britain imports radioactive isotopes to detect and cure cancer. Border chaos at Dover would make them useless in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

The team at Brompton Bicycle Ltd. thought they were prepared for Brexit.

Research suggests one in five people have a food, drinks and medicine hoard worth £380.

Currency exchanges from sterling to euros surge for three months in a row.

Delays at ports getting worse after surge in demand for shipping as economy recovers and firms seek to build stockpiles.

Major suppliers to care homes and hospitals are stockpiling food to offset the potential disruption of a no-deal Brexit.

One in five businesses are importing Christmas stock already to avoid potential Brexit chaos.

England's Chief Medical Officer has told LBC she is concerned that a no-deal Brexit could mean the NHS cannot get the medicine it needs to save lives.

Confusion over ability to sell to Northern Ireland after 31 December hits farmers hard.

Stockpiling in preparation for a no-deal Brexit has boosted Coca-Cola's sales and earnings in the first quarter.

Businesses are stockpiling goods or looking elsewhere amid the threat of a no-deal Brexit.

P&O opts for Cypriot flag, Sony confirms HQ move and Pets at Home stockpiles cat food.

‘Everyone is panicking,’ says Freight UK manager – despite Michael Gove’s attempts to reassure logistics industry.

Pizza chain forks out £7m on imported foods such as Portuguese tomato sauce.

Trade disruption could return if British holidaymakers head for European summer breaks, the head of the country’s biggest port said, calling on the government to urgently reconsider funding to redevelop Dover to prevent long-term damage.

The Swiss pharmaceuticals company Novartis has said it is stockpiling drugs in the UK before a possible no-deal Brexit, which it warned would be “hugely impactful” for patients.

Iain Duncan Smith says the financial liabilities signed up to by Boris Johnson in the withdrawal agreement were too great.

Bloc plans to bulk-buy key drugs for all 27 countries, potentially leaving Britain ‘behind in the queue’. / “Europe is securing access to key drugs and vaccines as a single region, with huge influence and buying power. As a result of Brexit the UK is now isolated from this system, so our drug supplies could be at risk in the future,” said Dr Andrew Hill, an expert on the pharmaceutical trade.

Signs that European customers are “abandoning” UK firms are starting to show after British manufacturing recorded the steepest downturn in almost three years.

Boris Johnson, the front-runner to be Britain’s next prime minister, has raised the prospect of a shock for the world’s fifth-biggest economy by pledging to leave the European Union on Oct. 31 without a transition deal if necessary.

UK buildup of finished goods rises in December at second-fastest rate since 1992

He was booed in Scotland. In Wales, a chicken submitted to his embrace, but politicians held him at arm’s length. And in Northern Ireland, there were rumblings of Irish unity — which could only come at the expense of its ties to the rest of the United Kingdom.

With less than a fortnight to go before the end of the transition period, lorry drivers face huge delays on their way to the border.

The UK food industry has threatened to stop co-operating with government policy consultations, saying it is busy trying to stave off the "catastrophic impact" of a no-deal Brexit.

"I've got around £6,000 of milk going out of date. If I can't give it to anyone, it will be dumped," wholesaler Philip de Ternant says.

Ford has been stockpiling vehicles in the UK and moving engines in to Europe in advance of a hard Brexit.

British growers and sellers fear government measures starting on 30 April could result in delays and plants being damaged.

The Government has announced new plans to secure freight capacity to bring medicines and medical equipment from continental Europe in the case of a no-deal Brexit in October.

But pharmaceutical industry has warned that sufficient buffer stocks may not be possible by December.

The government has urged pharmaceutical firms to have six weeks' worth of drugs stockpiled, in readiness for the end of the Brexit transition period.

An “urgent” £9 million order for 112 new ambulances has been placed by health chiefs amid fears none will be available after Brexit, the Evening Standard can reveal. Thirty of the vehicles, which take months to build, will enter service by March, with 82 being “stockpiled” ...

London airport preparing for no deal by putting aside imported security materials.

With it still possible the United Kingdom will leave the European Union without a deal, Mark Dayan looks at the impact that would have on NHS costs.

The United Kingdom (UK) withdrew from the European Union (EU) on January 31, 2020, and completed the transition period on December 31, 2020, officially leaving the EU and becoming a third country. This event, known as Brexit, has had significant implications for the UK’s economy, including the automotive industry.

Huge warehouse in secret location holds £5m-worth of medical products and food.

Low consumer confidence also affects sales at Morrisons, and Co-op says crashing out of EU threatens its supply chain.

It will take “six to eight months” to build up supplies of medicines for a no-deal Brexit, a leaked cabinet note says – undermining Boris Johnson’s threat to crash out of the EU on 31 October.

Vinyl and CDs are manufactured on mainland Europe leaving the UK supply chain vulnerable to a no-deal Brexit.

Mondelēz and Ferrero confirm they are ramping up stockpiling of raw materials in case of no trade agreement with EU.

Nervous UK manufacturers stockpiled goods and material in December ahead of Brexit, the latest survey of the sector showed.

The shortage of medicines is set to only get worse in Ireland because stockpiles created to lessen the impact of Brexit are running out, the chair of Medicines for Ireland has warned.

Other UK forces also increase spending on ammunition amid fears of no-deal Brexit disorder.

Civil servants in the Cabinet Office will run a new unit to tackle 'misleading' stories about no deal Brexit.

Ministers will not know whether there are enough medicines, medical supplies or freight capacity to support the NHS if the UK leaves the EU without a deal next month, Whitehall’s spending watchdog has found.

Patients put at risk as crisis hits supplies of vital antibiotics, HRT and anti-depressants. / Vital antibiotics, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) drugs are among those in desperately short supply this winter – with the NHS forced to pay over the odds to get drugs into Britain.

On Tuesday, the UK minister for Brexit said that the UK government would be making plans to stockpile food to mitigate shortages that would be caused by a No Deal Brexit and ensure that “adequate food” was available.

Supermarket believes October deadline is ‘not far off the worst day possible’ for retailers. / Supplies of toys and electronics for Christmas could be hit by a no-deal Brexit, the boss of Sainsbury’s has warned as he revealed another set of disappointing sales figures.

‘The challenge is, particularly in food, it’s perishable, so you can’t stockpile today for demand in November,’ Carney says. / A no-deal Brexit could cause food shortages, Mark Carney has suggested, adding that job losses and business closures are also likely.

Stockpiling of popular prescriptions has already started.

Names of at risk medicines kept secret by Netherlands' Bruno Bruins to prevent other EU states stockpiling and driving up costs.

As Boris Johnson careers towards a no-deal Brexit, what are the latest reports on the impact it would have?

One-third of the most critical preparation projects are not on track for completion by March 29.

Warehouses used to stockpile goods ahead of the UK’s original Brexit date will not be available later this year prior to the new 31 October deadline as retailers have already booked the space to prepare for Christmas, it has been reported.

Shelves in British stores would quickly empty in the event of a no-deal Brexit at the end of October, due to the warehouse space required to stockpile goods already being largely booked up for the Christmas period, industry leaders involved in contingency planning have told Business Insider.

Doctors have a duty to set out the harm of crashing out of the EU and this is not scaremongering, union says.

October worst time to stockpile as warehouses full of Christmas goods, says retail body. / Retailers have warned that there will be shortages of fresh food coupled with potential price rises if there is a no-deal Brexit.

The warning comes after similar cautions from the country's leading supermarkets.

How could you be affected if the UK does leave the EU without an agreement?

Four out of ten Brits are stockpiling items including food, medicine and clothes in preparation for the growing prospect of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union without a Brexit deal later this year.

Industry faces "disaster" as only root vegetables may be on sale, and cost of ready meals could surge.

Universities UK says 80% of members very concerned, with some considering stockpiling.

Government concedes that it 'will not be practical to stockpile products to cover expected delays of up to six months'.

An inability to stockpile drugs for many serious illnesses mean shortages will hit patients hard, according to doctors. / Senior doctors have warned the NHS to brace itself for the “biggest threat it has ever faced” if the UK crashes out of the EU on October 31, as a leaked internal document reveals the risks to patients from expected drug shortages.

Peers have told ministers they have "serious concerns" about the supply of prescription drugs to Northern Ireland after the Brexit transition period ends in just two months.

The company is also stockpiling pet food ahead of Brexit.

A UK book publisher says congestion at Felixstowe Port has left it with no books to sell in the lead up to Christmas.

The threat of a no-deal Brexit is causing staff at several universities in the UK to stockpile scientific equipment, including protective gloves and fly food, New Scientist has learned.

Aerospace firm will also move some regulatory approvals to Germany amid political turmoil

Providers may need to consider buying in frozen food, guidance says.

FEARS have been raised over the damage which could be caused by Brexit in less than two weeks’ time, as the clock ticks down on the chance for the UK to strike a deal with the EU.

A no-deal Brexit could threaten safe and effective patient care, a major Scottish health board has warned.

Police fear the fallout from a "no-deal" Brexit could lead to "wide-scale disruption and dangers for the general public" and have warned they may not have the resources to cope.

Vaccines and blood products could be stockpiled ahead of a possible ‘no-deal’ Brexit, the health and social care secretary has confirmed.

UK assembly line at standstill as pharmaceutical company sets up in Amsterdam and plans EU expansion.

The chaos at ports such as Dover, Felixstowe and Southampton is heightening concerns over whether online Christmas orders will arrive in time.

Planning for the new Brexit deadline is "more difficult" because the supply network will be full of Christmas stock, Tesco's boss has warned.

... the most hard-core Brexiters cannot articulate a deal that they prefer and has the slightest prospect of winning EU approval. Supporters of Brexit made incredible promises that had no basis in reality. / This matters greatly to Japan. Britain is the gateway to Europe for many Japanese companies. / Failure to reach a deal with the EU, for whatever reason, would be a disaster for the U.K.

Two weeks into Brexit, problems are mounting and recriminations are flying in all directions. The reality of Brexit is proving every bit as toxic as the four-and-a-half-year slog that got us to this point.

The threat of a “disastrous” no-deal Brexit is forcing businesses to stockpile frozen food for the elderly, robot parts and even horsehair in a move that could lead to higher prices and “significant shortages” for consumers, experts have warned.

Health minister Stephen Hammond confirmed the macabre course of action.

The government’s ‘serious shortage protocols’ are a real danger to the British public’s health – and may be illegal.

IN news which will surprise absolutely nobody, the Brexit talks are going terribly and pharmaceutical companies have been told to stockpile six week’s worth of drugs in case of disruption at the end of the transition period.

Inquiry hears of massive extra costs, a mountain of red tape, shrinking investment and chemicals ‘disappearing’ from UK market.

The U.K. government urged pharmaceutical companies to stockpile a six-week supply of medicines before the country finally leaves the European Union’s customs regime at the end of the year, in an effort to avoid shortages of drugs.

Britain has begun stockpiling food, fuel, spare parts and ammunition at military bases in Gibraltar, Cyprus and the Falklands in case of a no-deal Brexit, Sky News has learnt.

The political impasse over Brexit threatens to “suffocate” business investment across the UK, with the economy grinding to a halt as a temporary boost from stockpiling comes to an end, the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has warned.

Car production slumped 24% as manufacturers shut down plants temporarily in anticipation of no-deal exit from EU that did not happen.

The UK economy contracted 0.2% between April and June, its worst performance since 2012, the Office for National Statistics said.

The drop comes despite a boost to the economy in the first quarter of the year, thanks to Brexit stockpiling.

British factories slashed jobs in February and braced for Brexit by stockpiling goods at the fastest pace seen in any Group of Seven country since records started in the early 1990s, a survey showed on Friday.

Business group downgrades GDP rises and warns dwindling investment will hurt long-term economy. / Economic growth in Britain is expected to slow to the lowest levels since the financial crisis as firms run down Brexit stockpiles, according to a leading business lobby group.

British manufacturers are being forced to build up financial buffers in preparation for a no-deal Brexit as the cost of stockpiling goods and materials puts companies under strain.

Firms fear imports of raw materials will dry up or rise in price when Britain leaves the EU, survey says.

Doctors call for more transparency amid fears of shortages, especially of insulin.

The UK has been warned by the pharmaceutical industry that some stockpiles of medical supplies have been "used up entirely" by the virus.

The UK has been warned by the pharmaceutical industry that some stockpiles of medical supplies have been "used up entirely" by the virus.

Owners of storage facilities say demand has reached ‘fever pitch’ since last week’s chaos.

Government figures showing a bounceback in February rightly come with a health warning.

The British government has urged medicine suppliers to prepare for the country’s exit from the EU single market and customs union on Dec. 31 by building up six weeks’ worth of stocks in case of disruption to imports.

Companies should ensure six weeks’ worth of drugs for end of transition period, DHSC says.

German firm Wepa stores 3.5m toilet and kitchen rolls in UK in bid to avoid customs delays.

Concerns over staff and animal medication availability, and customs delays post-Brexit are plaguing the vet sector, according to a report.

The specialist maker of mounts, connectivity and audio products has built up its UK stock to more than 100,000 items, foreseeing customs clearance delays which stretched as long as six weeks.

Ministers still have a “significant amount” of work to do to ensure the continued supply of vital medicines to the NHS in the event of a no-deal Brexit, the Whitehall spending watchdog has warned.

With fears over manufacturing costs and future investment, here’s what firms are doing.

Leaving the EU single market and customs union will bring new friction and red tape for food importers

The government has announced an extra £2.1bn of funding to prepare for a no-deal Brexit - doubling the amount of money it has set aside this year.

Britons who fear disruption and decline tell Adam Forrest how they’ve been getting ready.