BMA welcomes Brexit certainty and Boris Bounce

The Bathroom Manufacturers Association (BMA) has welcomed “the 11 months of certainty on trading terms and regulation” that kicked in after 11pm on January 31.

BMA chief executive Tom Reynolds said that he was cautiously optimistic about the long-term outlook and he said that BMA members’ collective factory-gate sales would exceed £1 billion in 2020.

Reynolds said: “We have seen a boost for business with the arrival of a Government with a clear majority and the ending of years of uncertainty over Brexit. However, what lies ahead will not be without risk.

“The UK is still a member of the single market adhering to its rules and paying into its institutions, just without a say until December 31. I hope that, whatever the outcomes of the negotiations, we have some clarity before we get to the summer.”

Reynolds said a deal should include comprehensive mutual recognition rules, test procedures and authorities on construction products. It should also continue to work on European standards to allow ongoing harmonisation.

“Clearly, industry is looking for no new tariff barriers,” he said. “Unlike many, I don’t think this is impossible. We are in the unique circumstance of a trade negotiation between two parties starting from the point of convergence.

“There is evidence of the so-called “Boris Bounce” and reasons to be optimistic, especially in the KBB sector. The March Budget will be the new Government’s first opportunity to give bathroom manufacturers and other businesses a shot in the arm. Let’s wait and see whether the Boris Bounce is real and how high it can get.”

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