In the first batch of technical notes released by the government, ministers issued several warnings to Britons, including implications of a hard Brexit not previously known to the general public, such as the UK facing a shortage of donor sperm, which it largely imports from Denmark.
Britain could also be forced to find an alternative to the photographic health warnings displayed on cigarette packs, as the EU owns the copyright to the photos.
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Meanwhile, the government said UK holidaymakers could face hefty credit card charges while visiting EU member states and suggested expats could lose access to their pension pots with UK-registered schemes. Online shoppers are also likely to be faced with the additional charges when purchasing from EU vendors.
“The cost of card payments between the UK and EU will likely increase, and these cross-border payments will no longer be covered by the surcharging ban,” a recently published government paper reads.
Previous research by the Treasury found EU businesses to already be charging UK consumers hundreds of millions of euros per year in surcharge fees.
The government has already started making preparations to prevent medicine shortages under a hard Brexit and advised Brits not to stockpile medication, as this could lead to further shortages and the potential emergence of a black market.
Although politicians and economists are looking into the effects of a hard Brexit and are taking necessary steps, the government has insisted it still believes a deal with Brussels will be agreed, leading to a less chaotic Brexit.
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